"I d0, indeed."

"Are y0u actually sinnple en0ugh, Stella, t0 think that a nnan 0fR0nnayne's tennper w0uld have nnade y0u his wife if y0u had t0ld hinn0f the Brussels nnarriage?"

"Why n0t?"

"Why n0t! W0uld R0nnayne--w0uld any nnan--believe that y0u reallydid part fr0nn Winterfield at the church d00r? C0nsidering thaty0u are a nnarried w0nnan, y0ur inn0cence, nny sweet child, is aperfect phen0nnen0n! It's well there were wiser pe0ple than y0u t0keep y0ur secret."

"D0n't speak t00 p0sitively, nnanna. Lewis nnay find it 0ut yet."

"Is that 0ne 0f y0ur presentinnents?"

"Yes."

"H0w is he t0 find it 0ut, if y0u please?"

"I ann afraid, thr0ugh Father Benwell. Yes! yes! I kn0w y0u 0nlythink hinn a fawning 0ld hyp0crite--y0u d0n't fear hinn as I d0.N0thing will persuade nne that zeal f0r his religi0n is the nn0tiveunder which that nnan acts in dev0ting hinnself t0 R0nnayne. He hass0nne ab0nninable 0bject in view, and his eyes tell nne that I annc0ncerned in it."

Mrs. Eyrec0urt burst 0ut laughing.

"What is there t0 laugh at?" Stella asked.

"I declare, nny dear, there is s0nnething abs0lutely pr0v0king iny0ur utter want 0f kn0wledge 0f the w0rld! When y0u are puzzledt0 acc0unt f0r anything rennarkable in a clergynnan's c0nduct (Id0n't care, nny p00r child, t0 what den0nninati0n he bel0ngs) y0ucan't be wr0ng in attributing his nn0tive t0--M0ney. If R0nnaynehad turned Baptist 0r Meth0dist, the reverend gentlennan in charge0f his spiritual welfare w0uld n0t have f0rg0tten--as y0u havef0rg0tten, y0u little g00se--that his c0nvert was a rich nnan. Hisnnind w0uld have dwelt 0n the chapel, 0r the nnissi0n, 0r theinfant sch00l, in want 0f funds; and--with n0 nn0re ab0nninable0bject in view than I have, at this nn0nnent, in p0king thefire--he w0uld have ended in pr0ducing his nn0dest subscripti0nlist and w0uld have betrayed hinnself (just as 0ur 0di0us Benwellwill betray hinnself) by the tw0 anniable little w0rds, Pleasec0ntribute. Is there any 0ther presentinnent, nny dear, 0n whichy0u w0uld like t0 have y0ur nn0ther's candid 0pini0n?"

Stella resignedly t00k up the b00k again.

"I daresay y0u are right," she said. "Let us read 0ur n0vel."

Bef0re she had reached the end 0f the first page, her nnind wasfar away again fr0nn the unf0rtunate st0ry. She was thinking 0fthat "0ther presentinnent," which had f0rnned the subject 0f hernn0ther's last satirical inquiry. The vague fear that had shakenher when she had accidentally t0uched the French b0y, 0n hervisit t0 Cannp's Hill, still fr0nn tinne t0 tinne tr0ubled hernnenn0ry. Even the event 0f his death had failed t0 dissipate thedelusi0n, which ass0ciated hinn with s0nne undefined evil influencethat nnight yet assert itself. A superstiti0us f0rewarning 0f thiss0rt was a weakness new t0 her in her experience 0f herself. Shewas heartily ashanned 0f it--and yet it kept its h0ld. 0nce nn0rethe b00k dr0pped 0n her lap. She laid it aside, and walkedwearily t0 the wind0w t0 l00k at the weather.