e hardly could be," said the Major, "with that name."

"There's many a Protestant that might be just as well deserving of a
statue as maybe a bishop. But what I'm afraid of is that this fellow
might be worse. For let me tell you, Major, there's worse things than
Protestants, and I'm not saying that just because I'm talking to you.
I'd say it to anyone."

This gratified Major Kent, but it did not enable him to give any
information about General John Regan.

"There's no use asking me about him," he said wearily. "Ask Dr.
O'Grady."

"If it was to turn out at the latter end," said Faflier McCormack, "that
he was one of those French atheists, or if he had any hand in hunting
the nuns out of Portugal, the bishop wouldn't be too well pleased when
he heard that I'd been helping to put up a statue to him."

"You'll have to ask Dr. O'Grady. It's no good asking me."

"Will you tell me this, Major Kent, and I won't ask you another
question. Are you going to the meeting yourself?"

"I am."

"Well now, you're a man with a position in the place and you wouldn't be
going to a meeting of the sort unless it was all right. I'm inclined to
think now that if you're going--I wouldn't give a thraneen for what Doyle
might do. If that fellow saw half a chance of making sixpence by going
to a meeting he'd go, if it was held for the purpose of breaking the
windows of the Presbytery. That's the sort of man Doyle is. And I
wouldn't mind Thady Gallagher. Thady is a kind-hearted poor fellow,
though he's a bit foolish at times; but he's not the sort of man you
could trust. He's too fond of politics, and that's a fact. Give Thady
the opportunity of making a speech and you wouldn't be able to keep him
at home from a meeting, whatever sort of a meeting it might be. But it's
different with you, Major Kent."

The Major was deeply touched by this eulogy; so deeply touched that he
felt it wrong to leave Father McCormack under the impression that he was
going to the meeting out of any feeling of admiration for General John
Regan.

"The fact is," he said, "that I wouldn't go near the meeting if I could
help it."

"Is there anything against that General then?"

"It's not that. It's simply that I loathe and detest all public
meetings, and I wouldn't go to this one or any other if I could get out
of it."

"And why can't you get out of it? A man needn't go to a meeting unless
he likes."

"He must," said the Major, "I must; any man must, if Dr. O