absurdly short, and looking at Philip.

Laura saw that the spirit of teasing was strong in Charles this morning
and suspected that he wanted to stir up what he called the deadly feud,
and she hastened to change the conversation by saying, 'You quite
impressed Guy with your translation of Fra Cristoforo.'

'Indeed I must thank you for recommending the book,' said Guy; 'how
beautiful it is!'

'I am glad you entered into it,' said Philip; 'it has every quality
that a fiction ought to have.'

'I never read anything equal to the repentance of the nameless man.'

'Is he your favourite character?' said Philip, looking at him
attentively.

'Oh no--of course not--though he is so grand that one thinks most about
him, but no one can be cared about as much as Lucia.'

'Lucia! She never struck me as more than a well-painted peasant girl,'
said Philip.

'Oh!' cried Guy, indignantly; then, controlling himself, he continued:
'She pretends to no more than she is, but she shows the beauty of
goodness in itself in a--a--wonderful way. And think of the power of
those words of hers over that gloomy, desperate man.'

'Your sympathy with the Innominato again,' said Philip. Every subject