Page:Watts Mumford--Whitewash.djvu/167

 Catholic doctrine is founded on a real human need. If every one loved God as I love you—"

"Oh!" cried Philippa, interrupting with almost terrified emphasis; "don't, don't say such things—to compare me with the Deity!"

She was genuinely shocked, for Philippa was very devout on Sundays and in Lent.

"Forgive me," he begged, humbly. "I did not mean to hurt your beautiful faith. Unfortunately, I can believe in nothing—only in you and my duty to my fellow man."

She was not displeased. Atheism sat not unbecomingly on manly shoulders, though to her thinking it was to the last degree bad form in a woman. Religion, like one's evening dress, was the proper thing and indispensable for certain occasions, though she attributed her religious fervor to quite different emotions.

The more Valdeck turned the leaves of his companion's character, the greater was his amusement. It was like reading some written study of the ultrafeminine. It might be worth one's trouble to sketch out a romance with her for the sake of watching her clockwork. But time pressed; 157