“Died this morning,” said he hoarsely.
“Oh!” The lady uttered this exclamation in a low voice, and bent at once over the child, taking its little hand tenderly. “I am afraid my sombre robe may frighten her,” she said.
But the child did not draw back, only looked wonderingly at the lined face, at the snowy linen and the thick black veil.
“Is she of our religion?”
“No.”
“But you of course wish her to be brought up a Catholic?”
“No.”
The good Mother looked up in surprise.
“Then what induced you to bring her here?”
“Where women are I expected to find kindness and mercy for my motherless child.”