"My God!" muttered the minister. He stood one moment looking at her as if he saw a spectre, then turned away with drooping head, and went toward the door, staggering so that he had to put his hand out for support. To that sincere but mistaken man it was as if he had seen the pit open, and one he loved drawn into it.
The others sat silent and embarrassed, till Aurelia, bursting into tears, started up and left the room.
Margaret glanced at Mrs. Lewis, and found that she had quite recovered from her surprise.
"The programme seems to be flourish of trumpet, and exeunt omnes," the lady said. "But I mean to stand my ground. I don't find you in the least frightful. You look to me precisely as you did an hour ago, only brighter perhaps. My only fear at this instant is lest we may have to tie you up to keep you out of a convent."
"I have no thought of a convent," said Margaret.
"Oh! well, I don't see but we can get along with everything else. There's fish on Fridays, and the necessity of holding one's tongue occasionally. I think we can manage. Mr. Lewis, can you shut your mouth sufficiently to give an opinion?"
Thus called upon, Mr. Lewis found voice. "What in the world did you want to go and turn Catholic for?" he demanded angrily. "Couldn't you like 'em well enough at a distance, as I do? That's just a woman's romantic, headlong way of doing things up to the handle. You've upset your own dish completely. Nobody will marry you now."
Miss Hamilton smiled. "That is a view of the matter which I never thought to take," she said.
"But you must think of that," Mr. Lewis persisted, perfectly in earnest.