"
"When did he tell you that?"
"Yesterday--the day before. I went to the station to meet him and
he told me as we walked home. For a long time I believed him: I
don't mean that he told me falsehoods; he may have deceived
himself. Anyhow he used to tell me that though his agitation might
be described as anti-clerical no one could call it anti-religious.
But this morning something led me into his room and I looked
through his papers. I daresay I had no right to do so, but I did."
"And you discovered from his papers that his agitation was
directed against religion?"
Ellen nodded.
"I cannot think of anything more unfortunate," said the priest.
Father Brennan was a little fat man with small eyes and a
punctilious deferential manner, and his voice was slightly
falsetto.
"I cannot understand how your husband can be so unwise. I know
very little of him, but I did not think he was capable of making
so grave a mistake. The country is striving to unite itself, and
we have been uniting, and now that we have a united Ireland, or
very nearly, it appears that Mr. Carmady has come from America to
divide us again. What can he gain by these tactics? If he tells
the clergy that the moment Home Rule is granted an anti-religious
party will rise up and drive them out of the country, he will set
them against Home Rule, and if the clergy are not in favour of
Home Rule who, I would ask Mr. Carmady, who will be in favour of
it? And I will ask you, my dear child, to ask him--I suggest that
you should ask him to what quarter he looks for support.
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