ook at the newspaper on the floor here," returned the Doctor.
"You'll have her back in a minute, begging your pardon again, to tell
you so."

Father Sweeny glared, speechless, at his tormentor for an instant;
then, rinding the Big Doctor unmoved "in the furnace of his look," he
fell back on his pillows.

"Lock the door!" he commanded angrily. He pushed a letter into the
Doctor's hand. "Read that!"

"Hullo! The Major! What's _he_ got to say to you, Father Tim?"

"Read it, I tell you!"

Dr. Mangan did so, with attention, and read it a second time before he
replaced it in its envelope and handed it back to the priest.

"That's a nice letter!" said Father Sweeny, with a snort that he
believed to be a laugh. "What d'ye think of that now, you that are so
fond of Protestants!"

"I think the man is justified," said the Doctor, stoutly. "There's no
such great hurry, and anyhow, his authority is at an end. He couldn't
give you as much as'd sod a lark now--"

"Nor he wouldn't if he could!" broke in Father Sweeny. "And there
_is_ hurry, and great hurry! How will I build my chapel without
the land to put it on? Will you tell me that?"

"Ah, you haven't the money gathered yet. The delay isn't worth
exciting yourself about!" said the Doctor, soothingly. Father Tim
amused him, and he liked him, being well aware that if his temper was
hot, his heart was correspondingly warm. "You'll see the young chap
will give you the site as soon as look at you."

"And how do I know the young chap will be any easier than the old one?
Isn't he there at Mount Music all day and every day, at their
tea-parties and their dinner-parties? Won't they have him married up
to one of the daughters before you can look around? He may call
himself a Catholic, but them English Catholics--COME IN!"

Sister Maria Joseph's faint tap at the door had as instant an effect
as a squib, planted in the mane of the monarch of the bull-ring, might
produce.

"I cannt--the door's locked, Fawther!" came Sister Maria Joseph's
gentle voice, in mild protest. "I couldn't find the--"

"Never mind it! I have it myself--_I have it_, I tell you!"
shouted Father Tim; in his voice the appeal to a merciful Heaven to
grant patience was unmistakable.

Sister Maria Joseph, recognising with trembling her superfluousness,
withdrew.

"It's Barty will have that job we were speaking of just now, before
you were coaxing Sister Maria Joseph to go away from you," resumed Dr.
Mangan.