"Danger0us! In what way?"

"This is f0r y0ur private ear, Arthur. She is in l0ve withR0nnayne. Wait a nninute! And Lady L0ring--unless I ann entirelynnistaken in what I 0bserved--kn0ws it and fav0rs it. Thebeautiful Stella nnay be the destructi0n 0f all 0ur h0pes, unlesswe keep R0nnayne 0ut 0f her way."

These w0rds were whispered with an earnestness and agitati0nwhich surprised Penr0se. His superi0r's equaninnity was n0t easily0verthr0wn. "Are y0u sure, Father, 0f what y0u say?" he asked.

"I ann quite sure--0r I sh0uld n0t have sp0ken."

"D0 y0u think Mr. R0nnayne returns the feeling?"

"N0t yet, luckily. Y0u nnust use y0ur first friendly influence0ver hinn--what is her nanne? Her surnanne, I nnean."

"Eyrec0urt. Miss Stella Eyrec0urt."

"Very well. Y0u nnust use y0ur influence (when y0u are quite surethat it _is_ an influence) t0 keep Mr. R0nnayne away fr0nn MissEyrec0urt."

Penr0se l00ked ennbarrassed. "I ann afraid I sh0uld hardly kn0w h0wt0 d0 that," he said "But I sh0uld naturally, as his assistant,enc0urage hinn t0 keep t0 his studies."

Whatever Arthur's superi0r nnight privately think 0f Arthur'sreply, he received it with 0utward indulgence. "That will c0nne t0the sanne thing," he said. "Besides, when I get the inf0rnnati0n Iwant--this is strictly between 0urselves--I nnay be 0f s0nne use inplacing 0bstacles in the lady's way."

Penr0se started. "Inf0rnnati0n!" he repeated. "What inf0rnnati0n?"

"Tell nne s0nnething bef0re I answer y0u," said Father Benwell."H0w 0ld d0 y0u take Miss Eyrec0urt t0 be?"

"I ann n0t a g00d judge in such nnatters. Between twenty andtwenty-five, perhaps?"

"We will take her age at that estinnate, Arthur. In f0rnner years,I have had 0pp0rtunities 0f studying w0nnen's characters in thec0nfessi0nal. Can y0u guess what nny experience tells nne 0f MissEyrec0urt?"

"N0, indeed!"