’If you lose your faith, I am responsible for it; and I am not exaggerating when I say the thought that I may have lost a soul to God is always before me.  I can imagine no greater responsibility than this, and there seems to be no way of escaping from it.  Father O’Grady says that you have passed out of our care, that all we can do is to pray for you.  But I would like to do something more, and if you happen upon some passages in the books you are reading that seem in contradiction to the doctrines taught by the Catholic Church, I hope you will not conclude that the Church is without an answer.  The Church has an answer ready for every single thing that may be said against her doctrines.  I am not qualified to undertake the defence of the Church against anyone.  I quite recognize my own deficiency in this matter, but even I may be able to explain away some doubts that may arise.  If so, I beg of you not to hesitate to write to me.  If I cannot do so myself, I may be able to put you in the way of finding out the best Catholic opinion on matters of doctrine.

’Very sincerely yours,

‘OLIVER GOGARTY.’

From Miss Nora Glynn to Father Oliver Gogarty.

’BEECHWOOD HALL, BERKSHIRE,

’August 15, 19—.

’I am sorry indeed that I am causing you so much trouble of conscience.  You must try to put it out of your mind that you are responsible for me.  The idea is too absurd.  When I was in your parish I was interested in you, and that was why I tried to improve the choir and took trouble to decorate the altar.  Have you forgotten how anxious I was that you should write the history of the lake and its castles?  Why don’t you write it and send it to me?  I shall be interested in it, though for the moment I have hardly time to think of anything but Jewish history.  Within the next few weeks, for certain, the last chapter of Mr. Poole’s book will be passed for press, and then we shall go abroad and shall visit all the great men in Europe.  Some are in Amsterdam, some are in Paris, some live in Switzerland.  I wish I understood French a little better.  Isn’t it all like a dream?  Do you know, I can hardly believe I ever was in forlorn Garranard teaching little barefooted children their Catechism and their A, B, C.

’Good-bye, Father Gogarty.  We go abroad next week.  I lie awake thinking of this trip—­the places I shall see and the people I shall meet.

’Very sincerely yours,

‘NORA GLYNN.’

It seemed to him that her letter gave very little idea of her.  Some can express themselves on paper, and are more real in the words they write than in the words they speak.  But hardly anything of his idea of her transpired in that letter—­only in her desire of new ideas and new people.  She was interested in everything—­in his projected book about the raiders faring forth from the island castles, and now in the source of the Christian River; and he began to meditate a destructive criticism of Mr. Poole’s ideas in a letter addressed to the editor of Illustrated England, losing heart suddenly, he knew not why, feeling the task to be beyond him.  Perhaps it would be better not to write to Nora again.