"Indeed," gasped Grace, bowing slightly toward Mrs. Linberger, and coughing a little as she put her handkerchief to her mouth to hide a smile.
"She belongs to our church, and we have heard she is being led astray by this blasphemous kind of healing," pursued Mrs. Dyke, looking severely at Grace from under her thick grey veil which hung like a lowering cloud just above her eyes. "Mr. Narrow requested me and Mrs. Linberger to call and examine into the matter. I hope you don't encourage such wickedness, young woman?"
"Certainly I am at enmity with any kind of wickedness, but I am not aware of any particular wickedness in Christian Healing," replied Grace, bracing herself for the storm she saw brewing.
"What! you don't see anything wrong in such awful heresy!" exclaimed Mrs. Dyke, again pushing her veil up, and looking with horrified eyes, first at Grace, then at Mrs. Linberger. "Perhaps you don't understand about it," she added, softening a little as she settled back in her chair.
"I must confess I know but very little about it, but what I do know only increases my desire to know more," said Grace, flushing, as she sat down in the nearest chair.
"Let me warn you not to read or hear another word about it then, for it will simply be the means of worse than death to you," continued Mrs. Dyke, raising her finger solemnly.
"It destroys the most important doctrines in the Bible, even taking away the belief in the devil and hell," added Mrs. Linberger, speaking for the first time.
"Yes; they even deny there ever was a devil or that there ever will be any future punishment. Just think of it," reiterated Mrs. Dyke. "I guess they will see, some time!" she added with a sort of steely satisfaction.
"Do you really believe they lay aside all future punishment?" asked Grace, willing to waive the application to herself, and anxious to hear Mrs. Dyke's views.
"Yes, they say there is no evil and no devil, so of course there is no need for punishment."