They walked some twenty yards, till they reached a spot where the light came pouring through the young leaves, and all the brown leaves of last year were spotted with light. There were light shadows amid the rocks and pleasant mosses, and the sounds of leaves and water, and from the top of a rock Kate listened while Peter told her they would rebuild his house. "The priests are after us," she said. And she gave a low whistle, and the men and boys looked round, and seeing the priests coming, they dispersed, taking several paths, and none but Ned and Mary were left behind. Ned was dozing, Mary was sitting beside him fanning herself with her hat; they had not heard Kate's whistle, and they did not see the priests until they were by them. "Now, Tom, don't lose your head, be quiet with them." "Will you speak to them, or shall I?" said Father Tom. In the excitement of the moment he forgot his own imperfections and desired to admonish them. "I think you had better let me speak to them," said Father John. "You are Ned Kavanagh," he said, "and you are Mary Byrne, I believe. Now, I don't know you all, for I am getting an old man, and I don't often come up this way. But notwithstanding my age, and the heat of the day, I have come up, for I have heard that you have not acted as good Catholics should. I don't doubt for a moment that you intended to get married, but you have, I fear, been guilty of a great sin, and you've set a bad example." "We were on our way to your reverence now," said Mary. "I mean to his reverence." "Well," said Father Tom, "you are certainly taking your time over it, lying here half asleep under the trees." "We hadn't the money," said Mary, "it wasn't our fault." "Didn't I say I'd marry you for nothing?" "But sure, your reverence, that's only a way of speaking." "There's no use lingering here," said Father Tom. "Ned, you took the pledge the day before yesterday, and yesterday you were tipsy." "I may have had a drop of drink in me, your reverence. Pat Connex passed me the mug of porter and I forgot myself." "And once," said the priest, "you tasted the porter you thought you could go on taking it." Ned did not answer, and the priests whispered together. "We are half way now," said Father Tom, "we can get there before twelve o'clock." "I don't think I'm equal to it," said Father John. "I really don't think--" The sounds of wheels were heard, and a peasant driving a donkey cart came up the road. "You see it is all up-hill," said Father John. "See how the road ascends. I never could manage it." "The road is pretty flat at the top of the hill once you get to the top of the hill, and the cart will take you to the top." It seemed undignified to get into the donkey cart, but his nephew's conscience was at stake, and the Vicar-General got in, and Father Tom said to the unmarried couple:-- "Now walk on in front of us, and step out as quickly as you can."