country lanes, under trees by the edges of streams and near the poolmottled bogs. A woman had waited in the doorway as Davin had passed by at night and, offering him a cup of milk, had all but wooed him to her bed; for Davin had the mild eyes of one who could be secret. But him no woman’s eyes had wooed.

His arm was taken in a strong grip and Cranly’s voice said:

-Let us eke go.

They walked southward in silence.

Then Cranly said:

-That blithering idiot Temple! I swear to Moses, do you know, that I’ll be the death of that fellow one time.

But his voice was no longer angry and Stephen wondered was he thinking of her greeting to him under the porch.

They turned to the left and walked on as before. When they had gone on so for some time Stephen said:

-Cranly, I had an unpleasant quarrel this evening.

-With your people? Cranly asked.

-With my mother.

-About religion?

-Yes, Stephen answered.

After a pause Cranly asked:

-What age is your mother?

-Not old, Stephen said. She wishes me to make my easter duty.

-And will you?

-I will not, Stephen said.

-Why not? Cranly said.

-I will not serve, answered Stephen.

-That remark was made before, Cranly said calmly.

-It is made behind now, said Stephen hotly.

Cranly pressed Stephen’s arm, saying:

-Go easy, my dear man. You’re an excitable bloody man, do you know.

He laughed nervously as he spoke and, looking up into Stephen’s face with moved and friendly eyes, said:

-Do you know that you are an excitable man?

-I daresay I am, said Stephen, laughing also.

Their minds, lately estranged, seemed suddenly to have been drawn closer, one to the other.

-Do you believe in the eucharist? Cranly asked.

-I do not, Stephen said.