That evening Marie did not leave her room. She did not come down to dinner, Judith O'Connor took her up some food, which Marie scarcely touched. She was not in bad spirits; she was not in bad humour. She was at a loss--at a dead standstill. She could see nothing in the future, nothing farther back in the past than the events of that day--the things he had said to her in that memorable walk round the square. What had been the meaning of his words? There was no harder riddle to read on all the earth. He loved her still, and thought her good enough for him, though she knew she was not. She had given him every faculty of her heart and soul; she could take none of those back from him; the spaces they had held were now occupied by love, and when love came to abide with her, all her possessions had left her as though she had died. Now he was asking her to give him time to let him try himself still further before he asked her to carry out the promise she had given him of becoming his wife; nay, more than that, he had asked her to withdraw for the present that promise. Why? Because of some scruple which had arisen in his mind with regard to what took place in St Paul's at their betrothal. Why should religious scruples separate people who loved one another? People of different religions married, and were happy. She had heard of an English lady who married a Mahometan, and having been twenty years his wife, declined to come back to her people. No doubt pious people were greatly shocked at a Christian woman marrying a Mahometan; but men and women of different Christian sects married, and no one made an outcry. Why should religion make any difference between two people who loved and were loyal? George--this noble George, her George--was too conscientious. He had got some ridiculous notion into his head. He loved her still; she could see that in all he did and said. He loved her as warmly as ever. She was essential to his happiness; but some over-scrupulous notion had affrighted him; and made him think that he was unworthy of her. He unworthy of her!