"I love to look at it from this elevation," said Monsignor, who had just been discoursing on the work of his life. "In two years, just think, the most beautiful temple in the western continent will be dedicated."
"The money that has gone into it would have struck a great blow for Erin," said Ledwith with a bitter sigh.
"So much of it as escaped the yawning pockets of the numberless patriots," retorted Monsignor dispassionately. "The money would not have been lost in so good a cause, but its present use has done more for your people than a score of the blows which you aim at England."
"Claim everything in sight while you are at it," said Owen. "In God's name what connection has your gorgeous cathedral with any one's freedom?"
"Father dear, you are exciting yourself," Honora broke in, but neither heeded her.
"Christ brought us true freedom," said Monsignor, "and the Church alone teaches, practises, and maintains it."
"A fine example is provided by Ireland, where to a dead certainty freedom was lost because the Church had too unnatural a hold upon the people."
"What was lost on account of the faith will be given back again with compound interest. Political and military movements have done much for Ireland in fifty years; but the only real triumphs, universal, brilliant, enduring, significant, leading surely up to greater things, have been won by the Irish faith, of which that cathedral, shining so gloriously in the sun this afternoon, is both a result and a symbol."
"I believe you will die with that conviction," Ledwith said in wonder.
"I wish you could die with the same, Owen," replied Monsignor tenderly.
They fell silent for a little under the stress of sudden feeling.
"How do men reason themselves into such absurdities?" Owen asked himself.
"You ought to know. You have done it often enough," said the priest tartly.
Then both laughed together, as they always did when the argument became personal.
"Do you know what Livingstone and Bradford and the people whom they represent think of that temple?" said Monsignor impressively.
"They are significant," replied the priest. "These two leaders would give the price of the building to have kept down or destroyed the spirit which undertook and carried out the scheme. They have said to themselves many times in the last twenty years, while that temple rose slowly but gloriously into being, what sort of a race is this, so despised and ill-treated, so poor and ignorant, that in a brief time on our shores can build the finest temple to God which this country has yet seen? What will the people, to whom we have described this race as sunk in papistical stupidity, debased, unenterprising, think, when they gaze on this absolute proof of our mendacity?"