“No.... But have you no religion?”
“Have you?”
“Well––yes.”
“Which?”
“Protestant.... Are you Catholic?”
The girl rested her cheek on her hand and dabbed absently at her orange ice.
“I was once,” she said. “I was very religious––in 66 the accepted sense of the term.... It came rather suddenly;––it seemed to be born as part of a sudden and close friendship with a girl––began with that friendship, I think.... And died with it.”
She sat quite silent for a while, then a tremulous smile edged her lips:
“I had meant to take the veil,” she said. “I did begin my novitiate.”
“Here?”