“That, at least, he is not.”
“Of course not, of course not; since I hear he is a gentleman. But how, pray, does he show that he is a sceptic, or something? (Capital phrase, upon my word, Alice!) How do you know it?”
“During the whole time that he has been at Elmington he has never once—I am afraid it is more serious than you imagine—”
“Go on!”
“Never once put his foot inside the church.”
“Impossible!” cried Mrs. Rolfe. “Why, ’tisn’t genteel!”
“Never once!”
“And his apology?”
“The Don apologizing!” broke in Alice, with a little laugh. “You don’t know him!”
“What! paying court to my daughter, and allowing her to go to church, Sunday after Sunday, without ever offering to attend her? I should just have liked Mr. Rolfe to have tried that game with me! Even now,—and we have been married thirty years! just fancy me marching off to church alone!”