fortunate," said the priest.

Father Brennan was a little fat man with small eyes and a punctilious
deferential manner, and his voice was slightly falsetto.

"I cannot understand how your husband can be so unwise. I know very
little of him, but I did not think he was capable of making so grave a
mistake. The country is striving to unite itself, and we have been
uniting, and now that we have a united Ireland, or very nearly, it
appears that Mr. Carmady has come from America to divide us again. What
can he gain by these tactics? If he tells the clergy that the moment
Home Rule is granted an anti-religious party will rise up and drive
them out of the country, he will set them against Home Rule, and if the
clergy are not in favour of Home Rule who, I would ask Mr. Carmady, who
will be in favour of it? And I will ask you, my dear child, to ask
him--I suggest that you should ask him to what quarter he looks for
support."

"Ned and I never talk politics; we used to, but that is a long time
ago."

"He will only ruin himself. But I think you said you came to consult me
about something."

"Yes. You see a very large part of my money is spent in politics and I
am not certain that I should not withdraw my money. It is for that I
have come to consult you."

Ellen had been addressing the little outline of the priest's profile,
but when he heard the subject on which she had come to consult him he
turned and she saw his large face, round and mottled. A little light
gathered in his wise and kindly eyes, and Ellen guessed that he had
begun to see his way out of the difficulty, and she was glad of it, for
she reckoned her responsibility at a number of souls. The priest spoke
very kindly, he seemed to understand how difficult it would be for her
to tell her husband that she could not give him any more money unless
he promised not to attack the clergy or religion, but she must do so.
He pointed out that to attack one was to attack the other, for the
greater mass of mankind understands religion only through the clergy.

"You must not only withdraw your money," he said, "but you must use
your influence to dissuade him."

"I am afraid," said Ellen, "that when I tell him that I must withdraw
my money, and that you have told me to do so--"

"You need not say that I told you to do so."

"I cannot keep anything back from my husband. I must tell him the whole
truth," she said. "And when I tell him everything, I shall not only
lose any i