ut it doesn't matter what anybody understands--I'm
done for.'

'We'll have a bit of supper together. It will pass from you.'

'Ah, you little know;' and the priests walked up the hill in silence.

'Gogarty, there's no use talking; I'm done for. Let me go.'

'Come in, will you?' and he took him by the arm. 'Come in. I'm a bigger
man than you, Moran; come in!'

'I'm done for,' Father Moran said again.

Father Oliver made a sign of silence, and when they were in the parlour,
and the door shut behind them, he said:

'You mustn't talk like that, and Catherine within a step of you.'

'I've told you, Gogarty, I'm done for, and I've just come here to bid
you good-bye; but before we part I'd like to hear you say that I haven't
been wanting in my duties--that in all the rest, as far as you know,
I've been as good a man as another.'

'In all but one thing I know no better man, and I'll not hear that
there's no hope.'

'Better waste no time talking. Just let me hear you say again that I've
been a good man in everything but one thing.'

'Yes, indeed;' and the priests grasped hands.

And Catherine came into the room to ask if Father Moran was stopping to
supper. Father Oliver answered hurriedly: 'Yes, yes, he's staying. Bring
in supper as soon as you can;' and she went away, to come back soon
after with the cloth. And while she laid it the priests sat looking at
each other, not daring to speak, hoping that Catherine did not suspect
from their silence and manner that anything was wrong. She seemed to be
a long while laying the cloth and bringing in the food; it seemed to
them as if she was delaying on purpose. At last the door was closed, and
they were alone.

'Now, Moran, sit down and eat a bit, won't you?'

'I can't eat anything. Give me some whisky; that is what I want. Give me
some whisky, and I will go away and you'll never see me again. Just a
glass to keep me going, and I will go straight out of your parish, so
that none of the disgrace will fall upon you; or--what do you think? You
could put me up here; no one need know I'm here. All I want are a few
bottles of whisky.'

'You mean that I should put you up here and let you get drunk?'

'You know what I mean well enough. I'm like that. And it's well for you
who don't want whisky. But if it hadn't been for whisky I should have
been in a mad-house long ago. Now, just tell me if you'll give me drink.
If you will, I'll stay and talk with you, for I know you're lon