George A. Birmingham

“ Father Mulcrone may say what he likes about bishops, but they aren't absolute fools."
"If nothing happened, I suppose we may take it that the incident is of no real importance?"
"Not the least bit in the world. Only, if Lord Cumberley happens, as I said before, to be that kind of man, there might be unpleasantness—unpleasantness for him, I mean. I shan't mind."
"I think we may risk it," said Mr. Willoughby. "He never goes near the parish himself. He lives miles away and detests the place."
"Goodbye," said Meldon. "I think I must be getting back to the Spindrift at once." ”

“ Willoughby, "everybody began to talk at once. I imagine that most of them spoke in Irish. I couldn't understand a word anybody said. Fortunately, Father Mulcrone kept his head. He got old O'Flaherty away from the crowd and dragged the truth out of him somehow. Then he took the little girl and got the rest of the story out of her. There's just one thing we can't any of us understand, and that is how you managed to get down the hill from the old man's house to the place where the child found you." ”

“ If Lord Cumberley insists on a married man there's no time to be lost."
"But I'm sure Lord Cumberley wouldn't wish to hurry Miss—Miss Gladys Muriel in any way."
"Oh, she won't mind. She's just as keen on getting married as I am. By the way, now that the Aureole's wrecked, what's going to happen to Sir Giles and Euseby Langton? You can't leave them here marooned on the island. It would be rough on Higginbotham."
"I can't well take them in the Granuaile," said the Chief Secretary. "I wonder if Father Mulcrone would keep them on Inishmore till I send off a hooker for them from the mainland?" ”

“ If you've no other plans for disposing of them I'll persuade Major Kent to bring them back in the Spindrift."
"But won't that be rather unpleasant for you and Major Kent?"
"It will. But I'd put up with more than that to do you a good turn. I owe it to you on account of the parish. And you are in rather a hole about those two thieves, aren't you?" ”

“ Willoughby paused.
"Am I to say anything yet?" asked Meldon.
"Perhaps not yet. Let me tell you a little more. The value of this particular living has been largely increased lately by the opening of a coal mine. It used to be a quiet country parish. Now it's becoming a small town, a town inhabited by colliers. I understand that from an ecclesiastical point of view colliers are not pleasant parishioners. Lord Cumberley writes that he wants an energetic man, not thin-skinned, resourceful, determined, and capable of making some impression on a rather rough class of people. ”

“ A man at your time of life, with a reputation to keep up, can't run the risk of coming a bad cropper. It will be better to leave things as they are. You stick to Ireland. I'll go and hammer the fear of God into those colliers. ”