“And you must keep up to the utmost pitch your sympathy with him himself. You must remember that he is somewhere there, underneath, in chains; and that, probably, he is struggling too, and needs you. It is not possession yet: he is still partly conscious. … Did he know you?”
“Yes; he just knew me. He was puzzled, I think.”
“Has he seen anyone else he knows?”
“His mother … yes. He just knew her too. He did not speak to her. I would not let him.”
“Miss Deronnais, you have acted admirably. … What is he doing now?”
“I don’t know. I left him in his room. He was quite quiet.”
“You must go back directly. … Shall we turn? I don’t think there’s much more to say just now.”
Then she noticed that he had said nothing about the priest.
“And what about Father Mahon?” she said.
The old man was silent a moment.
“Well?” she said again.
“Miss Deronnais, I wouldn’t rely on Father Mahon. I’ve hardly ever met a priest who takes these things seriously. In theory—yes, of course; but not in concrete instances. However, Father Mahon may be an exception. And the worst of it is that the priesthood has enormous power, if they only knew it.”
The tinkle of a bicycle bell sounded down the road behind them. Maggie wheeled on the instant, and caught the profile she was expecting.
“Is that you?” she said, as the rider passed.