Father Paul laughed "Don't you understand, daughter?"
Stella thought for a moment. You mean," she said, "that I am not to think of him so as to interfere with my thought for the good God and my neighbour?"
"Exactly," replied Father Paul; "and remember, too, that there may be danger in the fact that when you please Gerard you please yourself. Too much devotion to him may be little better than pure selfishness,"
Stella looked unhappy.
"I do not tell you," continued Father Paul, not to love him and to be devoted to him. But now that I have taught your conscience, it will better tell you what is right than even I can. There! I shall leave the matter with you. You have heard it said that dirt is matter out of place. So with sin; it is act, thought, or word out of place."
And Father Paul moved on, while Stella sat down and began to think.
It was early morning. The dew still glistened on blade of grass and leaf of
