"You are not afraid?" he said, smiling, and looking at Fricka.
"Oh, dear no! I spent an hour this morning introducing them."
At that moment Bruno came bounding up. He looked from his master to Laura in her hat, and seemed to hesitate. Then, as she descended the steps, he sprang after her. Laura began to run; the two dogs leapt about her; her light voice, checking or caressing, came back to Helbeck on the spring wind. He watched her and her companions so long as they were in sight—the golden hair among the trees, the dancing steps of the girl, the answering frolic of the dogs.
Then he turned back to his sister, his grave mouth twitching.
"How thankful she is to get rid of us!"
He laughed out. The priest laughed, too, more softly.
"It was the first time, I presume, that Miss Fountain had ever been within a Catholic church?" he said to Augustina.
Augustina flushed.
"Of course it is the first time. Oh! Alan, you can't think how strange it is to her."
She looked rather piteously at her brother.