Doyle spoke in the tone of a man who is going to tell a long and leisurely story. Dr. O’Grady, who had heard the story before, interrupted him. “Of course we’d have to talk to the inspector when he comes,” he said. “You’d do that, O’Grady,” said the Major. “You’d talk to a bench of bishops.” “I’m not sure,” said Father McCormack, “that I quite see what the doctor’s getting at.” “It’s simple enough,” said Dr. O’Grady, “Suppose he offers us £500 for a pier—he can’t well make it less——” “It’ll be more,” said Doyle optimistically. “It’ll be nearer a thousand pounds.” “Say £500,” said Dr. O’Grady. “What I propose is that we spend £400 on a pier and use the other hundred to pay for the statue and the rest of the things we have to get.” “Bedamn,” said Doyle, “but that’s great. That’s the best ever I heard.” Major Kent rose to his feet. He was very red in the face, and there was a look of rigid determination in his eyes. “I may as well tell you at once,” he said, “that I’ll have nothing to do with any such plan.” “Why not?” said Dr. O’Grady. “Because I’m an honest man. I raised no particular objection when you merely proposed to make a fool of me and everybody else concerned——” “You’ve done very little else except raise objections,” said Dr. O’Grady. “—But when it comes to a deliberate act of dishonesty———” “That’s a hard word, so it is,” said Doyle. “It’s not a bit too hard,” said the Major, “and I say it again. Dishonesty. I won’t have anything to do——” “The Major’s right,” said Father McCormack, “there’s no denying it, the Major’s right.” “He would be right,” said Dr. O’Grady, “he’d be perfectly right if there were any dishonesty about the matter. I hope it isn’t necessary for me to say that if I thought the plan a dishonest one I’d be the last man in Ireland to propose it.” “Of course, of course,” said Father McCormack. “The doctor wouldn’t do the like,” said Doyle. “Sure we all know that,” said Father McCormack, “but the objection that the Major has raised——” “It’s all very well talking,” said the Major. “But talking won’t alter facts. It is dishonest to get a grant of money for one purpose and use it for something totally different.” “I’m not quite sure,” said Dr. O’Grady, “whether you quite understand the philosophy of modern charity, Major.” “I understand the ten commandments,” said the Major, “and that’s enough for me.” “Nobody’s saying a word against the ten commandments,” said Dr. O’Grady. “You’re going to do something against one of them,” said the Major, “and that’s worse. If you merely said things against them I shouldn’t mind. We all know that you’d say anything.” “You’re begging the question, Major, you really are. Now listen to me. What’s the ordinary recognised way of raising large sums of money for charitable objects? Some kind of bazaar, isn’t it?” “It is,” said Father McCormack. “There’s hardly ever a winter but there’s one or two of them up in Dublin for hospitals or the like.”