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dirty hands. Some of those people don’t wash themselves for weeks on end and that’s a fact. Do you know why some of those ladies often miss Mass? They’d have to wash themselves. And darn their damned stockings.
    –As usual I think you exaggerate, Collopy.
    –And false witness, is it? There’s people in this town that can’t open their jaws without spilling out a flood of lies and slanders. To biting a nice ripe apple they would prefer back-biting any day.
    –Yes, the tongue can be reckless.
    –And adultery? The Lord save us! Don’t talk to me about adultery.
    –I know, Collopy, that you are devoted to women and their wants. But I am afraid that they are not all angels. Sometimes one meets the temptress. You mentioned biting a ripe apple. Do not forget the Garden of Eden.
    –Baah! Adam was a damn fool, a looderamawn if you like. Afraid of nobody, not even the Almighty. A sort of poor man’s Lucifer. Why didn’t he tell that strap of a wife he had to go to hell?
    –Excuse me, Father Fahrt.
    That heart of mine, faultless registrar, gave a little jump of dismay. It was the brother, again interrupting his betters. They turned and stared at him, Mr Collopy frowning darkly.
    –Yes, Manus?
    –The wife of Adam in the Garden of Eden was Eve. She brought forth two sons, Cain and Abel. Cain killed Abel but afterwards in Eden he had a son named Henoch. Who was Cain’s wife?
    –Well, Father Fahrt said, there has been disputation on that point already.
    –Even if Eve had a daughter not mentioned, she would be Cain’s sister. If she hadn’t, then Cain must have married his own mother. Either way it seems to be a bad case of incest.
    –What sort of derogatory backchat is that you are giving out of you about the Holy Bible? Mr Collopy bellowed.
    –I’m only asking, the brother said doggedly.
    –Well, may God in his mercy help us. The father and the mother of a good thrashing is what you badly need.
    –Now, now, Father Fahrt said smoothly, that question has been examined by the Fathers. What we nowadays know by the term incest was not sinful in the case of our first parents, since it was inevitable if the human race was to survive-We will discuss it another time. Manus, you and I.
    –That’s right, Father, Mr Collopy said loudly. Encourage him. Give your blessing to the badness that’s in him. By damn but I’ll have a word with Brother Cruppy in Westland Row. I’ll tell him—
    He broke off here and we all sat still. It came again, a faint cry from Mrs Crotty’s room.
    – Is Father Fahrt there?
    Mr Collopy got up and hurried in, closing the door tight.
    –Ah, please God there is nothing wrong, Father Fahrt said softly.
    We sat in silence, looking at each other. After some minutes Mr Collopy reappeared.
    –She would like to see you, Father, he said in a strange low voice.
    –Of course, the priest said rising.
    He gently went into where I knew only a candle served. Mr Collopy slumped back into his chair, pre-occupied, quite unaware of ourselves at the table. Mechanically he sipped his drink, staring at the gleam of the fire through the bars of the range. The brother nudged me and rolled his eyes.
    –Ah dear O, Mr Collopy murmured sadly.
    He poured another drink into his glass, nor did he forget Father Fahrt.
    –We know not the day … nor the hour. All things come to him who waits. It’s the very divil.
    Again he slumped into silence, and for what seemed a long, long time there was no sound at all except that of the alarm clock above the range, which we began to hear for the first time. In the end Father Fahrt came quietly from the room and sat down.
    –I am very pleased, Collopy, he said.
    Mr Collopy looked at him anxiously.
    –Was it, he asked, was it …?
    –She is at peace. Her little harmless account is clear. Here we see God’s grace working. She is at peace. She was smiling when I left her. The poor thing is very ill.
    –You … did the needful?
    –Surely. A sweet, spiritual safeguard is not