But, owing to circumstances, his beat had been further extended to include Laurie Baxter, whom he was beginning to like extremely. There was an air of romance about Laurie, a pleasant enthusiasm, excellent manners, and a rather delightful faculty of hero-worship. Mr. Morton himself, too, while possessing nothing even resembling a religion, was, like many other people, not altogether 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 became aware that the young man's work was suffering; and he heard from his lips the expression of certain views that seemed to the elder man extremely unhealthy.
For example, on a Friday evening, not much afterwards, as Laurie was putting his books together, Mr. Morton asked him where he was going to spend the week-end.
"Stopping in town," said the boy briefly.
"Oh! I'm going to my brother's cottage. 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 matter," said Laurie. "No--thanks awfully, but I've got to stop in town."
"Lady Laura's again?"
"Yes."
"Same old game?"
Laurie sat down.
"Look here," he said, "I know you don't mean anything; 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 to me? Do you know it's beginning to seem to me just the only thing that matters? I'm quite aware that you think it all the most utter bunkum; but, you see, I know it's true. And the whole thing is just like heaven opening.... Look here ... I didn't tell you half the other day. The fact is, that I was just as much in love with this girl as--as a man could be. She died; and now--"
"Look here, what were you up to last Sunday?"