we should certainly break down. And then where would we
be?"

"But for a time, Somers," pleaded Herbert.

"For a time we may do something in that way, till other means present
themselves. But we must refuse all out-door relief. They who cannot
or do not bring money must go into the workhouses."

"You will not get houses in county Cork sufficient to hold them,"
said Father Bernard. And so the debate went on, not altogether
without some sparks of wisdom, with many sparks also of eager
benevolence, and some few passing clouds of fuliginous self-interest.
And then lists were produced, with the names on them of all who
were supposed to be in want--which were about to become, before
long, lists of the whole population of the country. And at last
it was decided among them, that in their district nothing should
be absolutely given away, except to old women and widows,--which
kindhearted clause was speedily neutralised by women becoming widows
while their husbands were still living; and it was decided also, that
as long as their money lasted, the soup-kitchen at Berryhill should
be kept open, and mill kept going, and the little shop maintained, so
that to some extent a check might be maintained on the prices of the
hucksters. And in this way they got through their work, not perhaps
with the sagacity of Solomon, but as I have said, with an average
amount of wisdom, as will always be the case when men set about their
tasks with true hearts and honest minds.

And then, when they parted, the two clergymen of the parish shook
hands with each other again, having perhaps less animosity against
each other than they had ever felt before. There had been a joke or
two over the table, at which both had laughed. The priest had wisely
shown some deference to the parson, and the parson had immediately
returned it, by referring some question to the priest. How often does
it not happen that when we come across those whom we have hated and
avoided all our lives, we find that they are not quite so bad as we
had thought? That old gentleman of whom we wot is never so black as
he has been painted.

The work of the committee took them nearly the whole day, so that
they did not separate till it was nearly dark. When they did so,
Somers and Herbert Fitzgerald rode home together.

"I always live in mortal fear," said Herbert, "that Townsend and the
priests will break out into warfare."

"As they haven't done it yet, they won't do it now," said