“I am thankful, Monsieur l’Abbé,” said Lady Bygrave, smiling. “I am sure that I can always rely upon you for support.”
“Ah, yes, madam, in spiritual matters as in temporal,” whispered the abbé.
The conversation was, however, generally of a lively character, and all agreed that the picnic was a success, and that they had enjoyed themselves amazingly. Captain Maynard, however, looking at his watch, declared that those who intended to return in the yacht must come on board without delay. Miss Pemberton declined, if she could possibly get a conveyance, and Lady Bygrave offered to take her in her carriage; Father Lascelles begging leave to return in a pony-carriage which had brought the hampers, if some one who knew the way would drive him—on which Alfred Lennard requested to be allowed the honour of doing so. Harry and Clara of course went back in the yacht, as did the rest of the party who had come in her.
“Mr Lennard must take care that that Jesuit priest does not get hold of his son,” observed Harry to Clara; “you might get Mary to speak to her father and warn him, for he seemed as much pleased with the strangers as Sir Reginald and Lady Bygrave. I hold with my father about them; and I would as soon trust a couple of serpents within my doors.”
“Are you not rather severe on the poor men?” asked Clara.
“Knowing their principles and their great object—to bring under subjection the minds of their fellow-creatures, and thus to amass wealth for the purpose of raising their order above all the ruling powers on earth—I cannot say anything too severe. To attain their ends they will allow nothing to stand in their way; they will hesitate at no crime, no deceit; they will assume any character which suits them, and will undertake the lowest offices, and will employ the vilest means, or will pretend to the most exalted piety.”
“Surely, Harry, the men we saw to-day could not be guilty of such conduct,” said Clara.
“Every Jesuit is trained in the same school, and I therefore make no exceptions,” answered Harry. “We shall find that even those gentlemen, fascinating as they appeared, had some object in visiting Sir Reginald, ulterior to that of presenting him with a scheme of colonisation. He is wealthy; and depend on it, they were informed of the proclivities of Lady Bygrave.”
Clara was not quite convinced. It was not likely, however, that the abbé and his companion would pay a visit to Luton.