She was sitting on the little sofa, and she put her feet up, lay and listened with her eyes shut. There was a vibration in Mr Palmer’s voice not perceptible during his vision of the crown of life and of fidelity to death. ‘Are you going to stay over Sunday?’ inquired Mrs Hopgood. ‘I am not quite sure; I ought to be back on Sunday evening. My father likes me to be at home on that day.’ ‘Is there not a Mr Maurice who is a friend of your father?’ ‘Oh, yes, a great friend.’ ‘He is not High Church nor Low Church?’ ‘No, not exactly.’ ‘What is he, then? What does he believe?’ ‘Well, I can hardly say; he does not believe that anybody will be burnt in a brimstone lake for ever.’ ‘That is what he does not believe,’ interposed Clara. ‘He believes that Socrates and the great Greeks and Romans who acted up to the light that was within them were not sent to hell. I think that is glorious, don’t you?’ ‘Yes, but that also is something he does not believe. What is there in him which is positive? What has he distinctly won from the unknown?’ ‘Ah, Miss Hopgood, you ought to hear him yourself; he is wonderful. I do admire him so much; I am sure you would like him.’ ‘If you do not go home on Saturday,’ said Mrs Hopgood, ‘we shall be pleased if you will have dinner with us on Sunday; we generally go for a walk in the afternoon.’ Frank hesitated, but at that moment Madge rose from the sofa. Her hair was disarranged, and she pushed its thick folds backward. It grew rather low down on her forehead and stood up a little on her temples, a mystery of shadow and dark recess. If it had been electrical with the force of a strong battery and had touched him, he could not have been more completely paralysed, and his half-erect resolution to go back on Saturday was instantly laid flat. ‘Thank you, Mrs Hopgood,’ looking at Madge and meeting her eyes, ‘I think it very likely I shall stay, and if I do I will most certainly accept your kind invitation.’ CHAPTER V SUNDAY morning came, and Frank, being in the country, considered himself absolved from the duty of going to church, and went for a long stroll. At half-past one he presented himself at Mrs Hopgood’s house.