re. Look at the attitude of the priests!"

"That is just my strongest foundation," I replied. "If their enthusiasm
had taken the other shapes I suggested, I should have despaired."

"Well, 't is over, for better, for worse," said he; "I did my best for
our Lady, and she won't blame me if I failed."

"That is sound Christian philosophy," I replied; "leave it there. But
don't be too flushed if my predictions come true."

"I suppose we may have a procession of the children on Corpus Christi?"
he said abruptly.

"Hallo! another innovation! Where are you going to stop, I wonder?"

"Why not have it?" he said. "It will be a sermon to the people!"

"Around the church, you mean," I conjectured, "and back again to the
High Altar?"

"No! but through the village, and out there along the path that cuts the
turf over the cliffs, and then back to the mill, where we can have
Benediction (I'll extemporize an altar), and down the main road, and to
the church."

"Go on! go on!" I said in a resigned manner; "perhaps you'll invite our
pious friend, Campion, down to Benediction--"

"He'll be carrying the canopy."

I looked at this young prestidigitateur in a bewildered manner. He was
not noticing me.

"You know," he said, "I'll put Campion and Ormsby and the doctor, and
the old Tertiary, Clohessy, under the canopy. It's time that these men
should be made to understand that they are Catholics in reality as well
as in name."

I was dumfounded at his audacity.

"I have got faculties from the bishop," he continued, "to receive
Ormsby, and to use the short form. He'll be a noble Catholic. He is
intelligent, and deeply in earnest."

"And who is this great man he is bringing from Dublin?" I asked.

"Oh! the doctor? An old chum. They have seen some rough and smooth
weather together. This fellow is gone mad about his profession, and he
studies eighteen hours out of the twenty-four--"

"He ought to be a Master of Conference," I interrupted. "But won't our
own man be jealous?"

"Not at all. He says he has done his best for Alice; and if any one else
can help her on, he'll be delighted. But he is not sanguine, nor am I."

"Nor I. It appears a deep-rooted affair. But what a visitation--God's
angel, cloaked from head to foot in blackness, and with a flaming
sword."

We were both silent, thinking of many things.

"Then the procession will be all right, sir?" he said at last, waking
up.

"I hope so," I said resignedly. "Everythi