round the dog's neck.

"Does he eat _anything_?" she asked carelessly, looking up. "If it's
_nothing_--that would be interesting."

"Laura! if you only would try and understand!--Of course Alan doesn't
settle such a thing for himself--nobody does with us. That's only in the
English Church."

Augustina straightened herself, with an unconscious arrogance. Laura
looked at her, smiling.

"Who settles it, then?"

"Why, his director, of course. He must have leave. But they have given
him leave. He has chosen a rule for himself"--Augustina gave a visible
gulp--"and he called Mrs. Denton to him before Lent, and told her about
it. Of course he'll hide it as much as he can. Catholics must never be
singular--never! But if we live in the house with him he can't hide it.
And all Lent, he only eats meat on Sundays, and other days--he wrote down
a list---- Well, it's like the saints--that's all!--I just cried over
it!"

Mrs. Fountain shook with the emotion of saying such things to Laura, but
her blue eyes flamed.

"What! fish and eggs?--that kind of thing?" said Laura. "As if there was
any hardship in that!"

"Laura! how can you be so unkind?--I must just keep it all to myself.--I