d an important duty, I will take my leave."

"You may of me," replied the other; "but you will not so readily shift
yourself out of the law."

"Any charge, sir, which either law or Justice may bring against me, I
shall be ready to meet; and I now, for your information, beg to let you
know that the law you threaten me with affords its protection to me and
the class to which I belong, in the discharge of this most sacred and
important trust. Your threats, Sir Thomas, consequently, I disregard."

"The more shame for it if it does," replied the baronet; "but, hark you,
sir, I do not wish, after all, that you and I should part on unfriendly
terms. You refuse to give up the robber?"

"I would give up my life sooner."

"But could you not procure me the missing note?"

"Of the missing note, Sir Thomas Gourlay, I know nothing. I consequently
neither can nor will make any promise to restore it."

"You may tell the robber from me," pursued the baronet, "that I will
give him the full amount of his burglary, provided he restores me that
note. The other sixty-nine pounds shall be his on that condition, and no
questions asked."

"I have already told you, sir, that it was under the seal of confession
the knowledge of the crime came to me. Out of that seal I cannot revert
to the subject without betraying my trust; for, if he acknowledged his
guilt to me under any other circumstances, it would become my duty to
hand him over to the law."

"Curse upon all priests!" said the other indignantly; "they are all
the same; a crew of cunning scoundrels, who attempt to subjugate the
ignorant and the credulous to their sway; a pack of spiritual swindlers,
who get possession of the consciences of the people through pious
fraud, and then make slavish instruments of them for their own selfish
purposes. In the meantime I shall keep my eye upon you, Mr. M'Mahon,
and, believe me, if I can get a hole in your coat I shall make a rent of
it."

"It is a poor privilege, sir, that of insulting the defenceless. You
know I am doubly so--defenceless from age, defenceless in virtue of my
sacred profession; but if I am defenceless against your insults, Sir
Thomas Gourlay, I am not against your threats, which I despise and
defy. The integrity of my life is beyond your power, the serenity of my
conscience beyond your vengeance. You are not of my flock, but if you
were, I would say, Sir Thomas, I fear you are a bold, bad man, and have
much to repent of in