Of the loss of her lover, she told herself that God had mercifully let her find out in time that his love was a reed on which she could not lean.
Eweretta had been brought up in her mother’s religion, which was also that of Mrs. Le Breton. Both these women were of French Canadian stock, and naturally Roman Catholics.
Now that Eweretta was allowed her freedom, she went to church again, and Mrs. Le Breton went too. It was a long journey for them to “St. Mary, Star of the Sea,” but that was of little moment to these two women. They had both lived in the prairie where a monthly Mass had alone been possible, as the little church both had attended had been served by a priest who had to travel far. They themselves had covered twenty miles to reach it.
It so chanced that Dan Webster was a Roman Catholic, so he, too, when at Hastings, went to “St. Mary, Star of the Sea,” which is situated in the High Street of the Old Town.
On the first Sunday after Dan had come to Hawk’s Nest, he went to the eight-o’clock Mass, and immediately in front of him sat Mrs. Le Breton and Eweretta.
Dan, who had a keen eye for beauty, was filled with an emotion at sight of this girl, which made him completely forget himself—and the Mass.
He never took his eyes from the girl, lest he should lose the sight of the exquisite profile which a chance movement of Eweretta’s gave him. He was quite certain, from the slight description Philip Barrimore had given of her, that this was Miss Le Breton.
It was with a sense of downright good luck that he noticed that one of them had left her prayer-book behind, when the two women left their seat.
He could easily have followed them and restored the book before they had left the church. But Dan had no such intention.
He waited till everyone had gone, then he pounced upon the prayer-book, and opened it, and saw therein “Andrée Le Breton.” It was evidently the property of the elder woman. The other—the beautiful Madonna-like girl—was then, Aimée.