"I It must have been by way of a figure of speech," remarked Theron, not with entire directness. "Women are great hands to separate one's obser- vations from their context, and so give them mean- ings quite unintended. They are also great hands," he added genially, "or at least one of them is, at making the most delicious dumplings in the world. I believe these are the best even you ever made."

Alice was not unmindful of the compliment, but her thoughts were on other things. "I shouldn't like that woman's priest, for example," she said, "to know that we had no piano."

"But if he comes and stands outside our house every night and listens, -- as of course he will," said Theron, with mock gravity, "it is only a question of time when he must reach that conclu- sion for himself. Our only chance, however, is that there are some sixteen hundred other houses for him to watch, so that he may not get around to us for quite a spell. Why, seriously, Alice, what on earth do you suppose Father Forbes knows or cares about our poor little affairs, or those of any other Protestant household in this whole village? He has his work to do, just as I have mine, -- only his is ten times as exacting in everything except sermons, -- and you may be sure he is only too glad when it is over each day, without bothering about things that are none of his business."

"All the same, I'm afraid of them," said Alice, as if argument were exhausted.

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