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But, owing to circumstances, his beat had been further extended to include Laurie Baxter, who to like extremely There was an air of romance about Laurie, a pleasant enthusiashtful faculty of hero-worship Mr Morton hiion, was, like ether unattracted towards those who had, though he thought religiousness to be a sign of a slightly incompetent character; and he rather liked Laurie's Catholicism, such as it was It must be rather pleasant, he considered (when he considered it at all), to believe "all that," as he would have said

So this new phase of Laurie's interested him far more than he would have allowed, so soon as he became aware that it was not merely superficial; and, indeed, Laurie's constant return to the subject, as well as his air of enthusiastic conviction, soon convinced him that this was so

Further, after a week or two, he beca; and he heard from his lips the expression of certain views that seemed to the elder , not ether, Mr Morton asked hi in town," said the boy briefly

"Oh! I'e Care to come? Afraid there's no Catholic church near"

Laurie smiled

"That wouldn't deter me," he said "I've made up my mind--"

"Yes?"

"Oh, it doesn't ot to stop in town"

"Lady Laura's again?"

"Yes"

"Saame?"

Laurie sat down

"Look here," he said, "I know you don't ; but I wish you'd understand"

"Well?"

The boy's face flushed with sudden nervous enthusiasm

"Do you understand," he said, "that this is just everything toto see that matters? I'm quite aware that you think it all the most utter bunku is just like heaven opening Look hereI didn't tell you half the other day The fact is, that I was just as irl as--as a man could be She died; and now--"

"Look here, ere you up to last Sunday?"