It occurred to her that Brother Manby was a friend of hers.
He didn't know much, to be sure; but he was capable of entering into
a joke and introducing Timothy to the Wayfarers' Dole. She tucked
the doll under her arm and wended towards the porter's lodge, where,
as it happened, she met Brother Copas coming through the gateway in
talk with the Chaplain.

The Chaplain in fact had sought out Brother Copas, had found him in
his customary haunt, fishing gloomily and alone beside the Mere, and
had opened his purpose for once pretty straightly, yet keeping
another in reserve.

"The Master has told me he gave you an anonymous letter that reached
him concerning Brother Bonaday. I have made up my mind to ask you a
question or two quite frankly about it."

"Now what in the world can he want?" thought Copas, continuing to
whip the stream. Aloud he said: "You'll excuse me, but I see no
frankness in your asking questions before telling me how much you
know."

"I intended that. I have received a similar letter."

"I guessed as much. . . . So you called on him with it and bullied
him into another attack of _angina pectoris_? That, too, I guessed.
Well?"

The Chaplain made no answer for a moment. Then he said with some
dignity--

"I might point out to you--might I not?--that both your speech and
the manner of it are grossly insubordinate."

"I know it. . . . I am sorry, sir; but in some way or another--by
showing him your letter, I suppose--you have come near to killing my
only friend."

"I did not show him the letter."

"Then I beg your pardon." Brother Copas turned and began to wind in
his line. "If you wish to talk about it, I recognise that you have
the right, sir; but let me beg you to be brief."

"The more willingly because I wish to consult you afterwards on a
pleasanter subject. . . . Now in this matter, I put it to you that--
the Master choosing to stand aside--you and I have some
responsibility. Try, first, to understand mine. So long as I have
to account for the discipline of St. Hospital I can scarcely ignore
such a scandal, hey?"

"No," agreed Brother Copas, after a long look at him. "I admit that
you would find it difficult." He mused a while. "No," he repeated;
"to be quite fair, there's no reason why you--who don't know
Bonaday--should assume him to be any better than the rest of us."

"--While you, on your part, will naturally be eager to clear your
friend."

"If I thought the acc