As he sat in his bench gazing calmly at the rector’s shrewd harsh face, his mind wound itself in and out of the curious questions proposed to it.  If a man had stolen a pound in his youth and had used that pound to amass a huge fortune how much was he obliged to give back, the pound he had stolen only or the pound together with the compound interest accruing upon it or all his huge fortune?  If a layman in giving baptism pour the water before saying the words is the child baptized?  Is baptism with a mineral water valid?  How comes it that while the first beatitude promises the kingdom of heaven to the poor of heart the second beatitude promises also to the meek that they shall possess the land?  Why was the sacrament of the eucharist instituted under the two species of bread and wine if Jesus Christ be present body and blood, soul and divinity, in the bread alone and in the wine alone?  Does a tiny particle of the consecrated bread contain all the body and blood of Jesus Christ or a part only of the body and blood?  If the wine change into vinegar and the host crumble into corruption after they have been consecrated, is Jesus Christ still present under their species as God and as man?

—­Here he is!  Here he is!

A boy from his post at the window had seen the rector come from the house.  All the catechisms were opened and all heads bent upon them silently.  The rector entered and took his seat on the dais.  A gentle kick from the tall boy in the bench behind urged Stephen to ask a difficult question.

The rector did not ask for a catechism to hear the lesson from.  He clasped his hands on the desk and said: 

—­The retreat will begin on Wednesday afternoon in honour of saint Francis Xavier whose feast day is Saturday.  The retreat will go on from Wednesday to Friday.  On Friday confession will be heard all the afternoon after beads.  If any boys have special confessors perhaps it will be better for them not to change.  Mass will be on Saturday morning at nine o’clock and general communion for the whole college.  Saturday will be a free day.  But Saturday and Sunday being free days some boys might be inclined to think that Monday is a free day also.  Beware of making that mistake.  I think you, Lawless, are likely to make that mistake.

—­I sir?  Why, sir?

A little wave of quiet mirth broke forth over the class of boys from the rector’s grim smile.  Stephen’s heart began slowly to fold and fade with fear like a withering flower.

The rector went on gravely: 

—­You are all familiar with the story of the life of saint Francis Xavier, I suppose, the patron of your college.  He came of an old and illustrious Spanish family and you remember that he was one of the first followers of saint Ignatius.  They met in Paris where Francis Xavier was professor of philosophy at the university.  This young and brilliant nobleman and man of letters entered heart and soul into the