The glance was as quick, as little comprehensive.
Just as within that strange house you see schemes of colour that you
would never have thought of, furniture and pictures that are not of
your taste at all, so Sally saw for one brief moment the glimpse of
a mind that could casually make a jest of death and holy-written
things. A great deal of that servile obedience to the religion in
which she had been brought up had been driven out of her by hard work.
You might not get the priesthood to admit it, but religion is a luxury
which few of the hard-workers in this world can afford. But she still
maintained that sense of conventional awe which strict religious
training drives deep into a receptive mind.
"Do you think it amusing to speak like that?" she asked.
"Like what?"
"What you said--the sentence that you quoted?"
"Of such are the kingdom of heaven?"
"Yes."
"Well--I don't think it's the best joke I've ever made--but it was
meant to be amusing."
At this, she laughed--laughed in spite of herself. His absolute
inconsequence was in itself humorous. She snatched a swift glance
at him under cover of a pretence to look behind her. As her eyes
returned, she was conscious that she was interested.
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