Quite heathenish isn't it?" He laughed, but under the laugh there was a
note of troubled seriousness.
She looked at him curiously. "And is it heathenish to worship God outside
of a church? If it is I fear that I, too, am a heathen."
He noted the words "I, too," and saw instantly that she did not know him
but had understood from his words that he was not a church man. He felt
that he ought to correct her false impression, that he ought to tell her
who and what he was, but he was possessed of a curious feeling of
reluctance to declare his calling.
The truth is, Dan Matthews did not want to meet this woman as a priest,
but as a man. He had already learned how the moment the preacher was
announced the man was pushed into the background.
While he hesitated she watched him with increasing interest. His words
had pleased her; she waited for him to speak again.
"I suppose your profession does keep you from anything like regular
church attendance," he said.
"Yes," she answered, "I have found that sick people do not as a rule
observe a one-day-in-seven religion. But it is not my professional
duties that keep me from church."
"You are not then--"
"Decidedly I am not," she answered.
"Really, you surprise me. I thought of course you were a member of some
church."
There was a touch of impatience in her quick reply. "You thought 'of
course'? And why of course, please?"
He started to answer, but she went on quickly, "I know why; because I am
a woman, _the weaker sex_!"
It is not possible to describe the fine touch in her voice when she said
"the weaker sex.
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