or not as you like," said Father Mc-Cormack, "but when I
got the bishop's answer to my letter, it turned out that he knew no more
than myself about General John Regan."

"That doesn't surprise me in the least. I don't believe any one knows
who he was."

"What the bishop said was that it might look queer if I was to take no
part in the proceedings when the Lord-Lieutenant was coming to unveil
the statue."

"That puts you in a safe position anyhow," said the Major. "If it turns
out afterwards that there is anything fishy about the General, the
bishop and the Lord-Lieutenant will have to share the blame between
them."

"What I want to know from you," said Father Mc-Cormack, "is this: Is the
Lord-Lieutenant coming or is he not?"

"I've only got the doctor's word for it. He says he is."

"The doctor's a fine man, and there's not many things he'd set his
hand to but he'd carry them through at the latter end. But the
Lord-Lieutenant! The Lord-Lieutenant is--well now, do you think it likely
that the Lord-Lieutenant is coming down here?"

"It's not the least likely," said the Major, "but there's nothing about
this whole business that is. It isn't likely in my opinion that there
was such a person as General John Regan. It wasn't likely beforehand
that we'd subscribe to put up a statue to him. I don't see that the
Lord-Lieutenant is any more unlikely than lots of other things that have
happened."

"I'm glad to hear you say that," said Father McCormack.

He and Major Kent were standing together at the window while they
talked. Neither of them noticed that Mary Ellen had come into the room.
She stood for some time near the door, hoping that either the Major or
Father McCormack would look round. Neither of them did, so she sidled
slowly into the room and stood beside the stuffed fox. She was a very
well mannered girl, and most unwilling to interrupt an earnest, possibly
an important conversation. When Father McCormack made his last remark
she felt that her chance had come. It was evident from the tone in which
he spoke, that he and the Major had reached a more or less satisfactory
conclusion of their business, She coughed, and then tapped lightly with
her knuckles on the glass case of the stuffed fox. Both Father McCormack
and the Major looked round.

"There's a lady below," said Mary Ellen.

"A lady!" said Major Kent. "Surely to goodness we're not going to have
women on this committee. Things are bad enough without th