"Yes," said Laurie slowly; "at least it seems rather particular to me.
It's what you were talking about the other day."

"Now how nice of you to say that! Do you know, I was wondering as we
talked. Now do tell me exactly what is in your mind, Mr. Baxter."

Mrs. Stapleton was conscious of a considerable sense of pleasure.
Usually she found this kind of man very imperceptive and gross. Laurie
seemed perfectly at his ease, dressed quite in the proper way, and had
an air of presentableness that usually only went with Philistinism.
She determined to do her best.

"May I speak quite freely, please?" he asked, looking straight at her.

"Please, please," she said, with that touch of childish intensity that
her friends thought so innocent and beautiful.

"Well, it's like this," said Laurie. "I've always rather disliked all
that kind of thing, more than I can say. It did seem to me
so--well--so feeble, don't you know; and then I'm a Catholic, you see,
and so--"

"Yes; yes?"

"Well, I've been reading Mr. Stainton Moses, and one or two other
books; and I must say that an awful lot of it seems to me still great
rubbish; and then there are any amount of frauds, aren't there, Mrs.
Stapleton, in that line?"