ly, almost
impatiently:

"Your mission was a failure, Father Healy?"

"Not entirely a failure," answered the priest. "I have brought back no
evidence to prove Denis Quirk innocent, but I am convinced that he is."

"You went away with a bias in his favour," suggested Clark.

"I did, and I come home still more biassed. I saw the priest who wrote
to me, a good man, but to my mind a poor student of human nature. He
received me kindly, and made me welcome. In the evening we talked of
Denis Quirk. He told me what a great man Denis had been before the
divorce case. There never was such a scandal in Goldenvale. I asked him
what sort of a woman was Mrs. Quirk. 'A splendid lady,' said he, 'clever
and talented. She was under instruction for the Church at the time, but,
naturally, she did not go on after divorcing her husband.' 'And how do
you reconcile a good man, going to his duties regularly, doing the
things Denis was accused of?' said I, quoting the old Latin proverb, 'No
one becomes suddenly altogether base.' 'That was where the scandal was,'
he answered me. 'Did he leave Goldenvale in disgrace?' I asked him. 'No,
he stayed on, and went and talked the Bishop over. The Bishop wrote to
me; I have his letter, and you may see it,' said this good priest."

"And what did the Bishop say?" asked Mr. Green, who had listened
attentively.

"He just told Father Richardson that Denis had seen him, and that there
was no valid reason to prevent him from the Sacraments."

"Did you meet Gerard there by any chance?" Dr. Marsh asked.

"I did, and never were two men more surprised than when we ran into each
other's arms round a corner. Gerard began to explain why he was there.
You see, he had a maiden aunt in the town," said Father Healy, smiling
all over his face, "and I had a cousin, which was true, for I discovered
him soon after my arrival there. The next day Gerard called on me, and
began to tell me about Denis Quirk. He was grieved over it, the poor
man! It was as bad as if his great grandmother had just died." At this
sally the company laughed.

"I told him," continued Father Healy, "it did not surprise me. It is a
wicked world, and it would not astonish me to hear that you yourself
were not quite perfect, said I."

"Not quite perfect," growled Dr. Marsh. "If ever there was a thief,
Gerard is the man."

"How do you prove that, Doctor?" asked Clark.

"From the company he keeps. To be hand in glove with Ebenezer Brown is
cert