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As she set it down, she gave a keen, covert glance round
the room, as though rapidly taking note of the appearance and faces of
all the young men, then, with a sort of stiff curtsey, she departed as
noiselessly as she had come,--not, however, without leaving a
disagreeable impression on Errington's mind.
"Rather a stern Phyllis, that waiting-maid of yours," he remarked,
watching his host, who was carefully drawing the cork from one of the
bottles of wine.
Mr. Dyceworthy smiled. "Oh, no, no! not stern at all," he answered
sweetly. "On the contrary, most affable and kind-hearted. Her only fault
is that she is a little zealous,--over-zealous for the purity of the
faith; and she has suffered much; but she is an excellent woman, really
excellent! Sir Philip, will you try this Lacrima Christi?"
"Lacrima Christi!" exclaimed Duprez. "You do not surely get that in
Norway?"
"It seems strange, certainly," replied Mr. Dyceworthy, "but it is a fact
that the Italian or Papist wines are often used here.


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