"You tell it with a certain goût," she said. "It's a horrid story!"
"O, it's a beautiful story!" said Lois, suddenly looking up.
"If you like horrors," said the lady, shrugging her shoulders. "But I believe you are one of that kind yourself, are you not?"
"Liking horrors?" said Lois, in astonishment.
"No, no, of course! not that. But I mean, you are one of that saint's spiritual relations. Are you not? You would rather be shot than live easy?"
Philip bit his lip; but Lois answered with the most delicious simplicity,—
"If living easy implied living unfaithful, I hope I would rather be shot." Her eyes looked, as she spoke, straight and quietly into those of her visitor.
"And I hope I would," added Philip.
"You?" said his sister, turning sharp upon him. "Everybody knows you would!"
"But everybody does not know yet that I am a fellow-servant of that Sebastian of long ago; and that to me now, faithful and unfaithful mean the same that they meant to him. Not faithfulness to man, but faithfulness to God—or unfaithfulness."