"He is selling some land there?"
"I hope so!" said Augustina, with fervour.
"It is time indeed that our poor orphans were housed," said Father Bowles naïvely. "For the last three months some of our dear nuns have been sleeping in the passages."
Augustina sighed.
"It seems a little hard that there is nobody but Alan to do anything! And how long is it to go on?"
The priest bent forward.
"You mean——?"
"How long will my stepdaughter let it go on?" said Augustina impatiently.
"She will be mistress here directly."
The eyes of her companion flinched, as though something had struck him.
But he hastened to say:
"Do not let us doubt, my dear lady, that the soul of Miss Fountain will sooner or later be granted to our prayers."