it is?"

Frank did not give his mind to the question. He was thinking, with some
pleasure, of the baffled rage of Lord Torrington when he was not allowed
to land on Inishbawn. Lady Isabel would be plainly visible sitting at
the door of her tent on the green slope of the island. Lord Torrington,
with violent language bursting from him, would approach the island in
a boat, anticipating a triumphant capture. But Joseph Antony Kinsella
would sally like a rover from his anchorage and tow Lord Torrington's
boat off to some distant place. With invincible determination the War
Lord would return again. From every inhabited island in the bay would
issue boats, Flanagan's old one among them. They would surround Lord
Torrington, hustle and push him away. Children from cottage doors would
jeer at him. Peter Walsh and Patsy, the drunken smith, would add their
taunts to the chorus when at last, baffled and despairing, he landed at
the quay. The vision was singularly attractive. Frank ran his hand over
his bandaged ankle and smiled with joy.

"I know it's used of secrets as well as sanctuaries," said Priscilla,
"because Aunt Juliet used to say it about the Confessional when she was
thinking of being a Roman Catholic. I told you about that, didn't I?"

"No," said Frank. "But will they be able to stop him landing, really?"

"Of course they will. That was one of the worst times we ever had with
Aunt Juliet. Father simply hated it, expecting the blow to fall every
day, especially after she took to fasting frightfully hard with finnan
haddocks. That was just after the time she was tremendously down on
all religion and wouldn't let him have prayers in the morning, which he
didn't mind as much; though, of course, he pretended. Fortunately she
found out about uric acid just before she actually did the deed, so
that was all right. It always is in the end, you know. That's one of
the really good points about Aunt Juliet. All the same I wish I could
remember that word."

"I don't quite see," said Frank, "how they'll stop him landing on
Inishbawn if he wants to."

"Nor do I; but they will. If Peter Walsh and Joseph Antony Kinsella and
Flanagan and Patsy the smith--they're all in the game, whatever it is--if
they determine not to let him land on Inishbawn he won't land there."

"But even if they keep him off for a day or two they can't for ever."

"Well," said Priscilla, "he can't stay here for ever either. There's
sure to be a war soon an