Lady Isabel gave a toss of her head,—a gesture to which she is very much addicted.
"With Isabel," continued Lady Judith, "unselfishness would take the form of resigning her own ease or pleasure to suit the convenience of another, Her temptation, therefore, is to indolence and self-pleasing. With Helena"——
I pricked up my ears. What was I going to hear?
"With Helena," said she, smiling on me, "it would be, I think, to fulfil some duty, though those whom she loved might misunderstand her and think her silly for it."
"Then what is my besetting sin, holy Mother?"
"Pride of intellect, I think," she answered; "very nearly the same as my own."
"Holy Mother, you have left out Dame Eschine!" said Lady Isabel rather sharply.
"Have I?" said Lady Judith. "Well, my children, you must ask the Lord wherein Eschine's selfishness lies, for I cannot tell. I dare not deny its existence; I believe all sinners have it in some form. Only, in this case, I cannot detect it."
Eschine looked up with an expression of utter amazement.
"Holy Mother!" she exclaimed. "It seemed to me, as you went on, that I had every one of those you mentioned."