own in a minute to take tea with you. If there isn't a pot of jam
down below--and it's likely you have it ate if there is--go into the
shop and ask for one. Is it strawberry you'd like, Mr. Meldon?"

"That or raspberry," said Meldon. "I don't care which. And now I want
to say a word or two to you."

"Come inside," said Doyle. "There isn't a soul in the bar, and maybe
you'd like a drop of something before your tea."

"I would not. You know very well, Doyle, that I never touch whisky
before my meals, especially when I've any business to do; and you ought
to be ashamed of yourself for offering it to me."

Doyle pushed forward a chair, selected another for himself, and sat
down opposite Meldon.

"Is it about the judge that's coming this evening that you wanted to
speak to me?"

"It is," said Meldon.

"I was thinking it might be. When you asked for the loan of my bicycle
this morning, and told me that you and the doctor was off to Donard in
a hurry, I made full sure it was him you were after. What have you
done with the doctor?"

"He'll be here in a few minutes," said Meldon, "and when he comes he'll
give you some chloride of lime and a bottle of Condy's Fluid. You're
to sprinkle the lime on the floor of the judge's bedroom, and to damp
the sheets on his bed with a solution of Condy's Fluid. O'Donoghue
will give you exact directions about the quantities."

"And what would that be for?"

"The judge wants it done," said Meldon, "and that ought to be enough
for you."

"I was reading a bit in the paper one day about what they call the
Christian Science. I suppose, now, he'll be one of them?"

"No," said Meldon. "He's not. If you'd read a little more carefully
you'd have understood that no Christian Scientist would walk on the
same side of the street as a bottle of Condy's Fluid. The principal
article of their creed is that there are no such things as germs,
consequently it's mere waste of time trying to kill them. And as
Condy's Fluid exists chiefly for the purpose of killing germs, it
strikes the Christian Scientist as an immoral compound. I don't know
exactly what religion your judge professes, but one thing is clear from
his insisting on Condy's Fluid, he's not a Christian Scientist."

"It's as well he's not," said Doyle. "What I say, and always did say,
is this: The Catholic religion is the right religion, meaning no
offence to you, Mr. Meldon. And the Protestant religion is a good
religion