" It was so delicately done, that it had none of the
coarseness that commonly marks like expressions, when used by some women.
Dan was surprised to feel that it emphasized the fineness of her
character, as well as its strength.
"Because I am not a man must I be _useless_?" she continued. "Is a
woman's life of so little influence in the world that she can spend it in
_make-believe living_ as little girls play at being grown up? Have I not
as great a right to my paganism as you call it, as you have to yours?"
Again he saw his opportunity and realized that he ought to correct her
mistake in assuming from his words that he was not a man of church
affiliation, but again he passed it by saying slowly, instead: "I think
your kind of paganism must be a very splendid thing; no one could think
of one in that dress as useless."
"I did not mean--"
"I understand I think," he said earnestly, "but won't you tell me why
you feel so about the church?"
She laughed as she returned, "One might think from your awful seriousness
that you were a preacher. Father Confessor, if you please--" she began
mockingly, then stopped--arrested by the expression of his face. "Oh I
beg your pardon, have I been rude?"
With a forced laugh he answered, "Oh no, indeed, not at all. It is only
that your views of the Christian religion surprise me."
"My views of the Christian religion," she repeated, very serious now. "I
did not know that my views of Christianity were mentioned.
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