enough to have no scruple as to secrecy towards Magdalen, though on
the next opportunity she poured out all to Sister Philomena's by no
means unwilling ears.

Lovers had never fallen within the young Sister's experience, either
personally or through friends; and they had only been revealed to her
in a few very carefully-selected tales, where they were more the
necessary machinery than the main interest, for she had been bred up
in an orphanage by Sister Beata, and had never seen beyond it. So to
her Paula's story, little as there was of it, was a perfect romance,
and it gained in colour when she related it to her senior.

Sister Beata hesitated a little, having rather more knowledge of the
world, remembering that Vera Prescott was not eighteen years old, and
doubting whether an underhand intimacy ought to be encouraged; but
then Mr. Flight had spoken of Mr. Delrio as a highly praiseworthy
young man, of decided Catholic principles; he was regular at Church
services, and had dined or supped at the Vicarage. The intercourse,
as the girls had explained, had been sanctioned by Mrs. Best in their
native town, where all parties were well known, and thus there could
be no harm in letting it continue. While as to the elder Miss
Prescott, she was understood to be unduly bent on county and titled
society, and to be exclusive towards inferiors. Moreover, she was an
attendant at St. Andrew's Church, and thus regarded as out of the
pale of sympathy of the St. Kenelm's flock.

So no obstacle was put in the way of the gossips, for they were
really nothing more, except that there was admiration of the designs
for the side chapel, which were of the Scripture children on one
side, and on the other of child martyrs. Now and then there was a