Part 24 (1/2)
”Well?” asked Father Healy
”Well?” responded Denis
”You will, of course, deny the calumny?”
Denis Quirk shook his head
”The writer is a good e I shall neither acknowledge nor deny it There are others concerned besides myself”
Father Healy was for the moment bereft of the power of speech He could not understand Denis Quirk's attitude At last he cried:
”You are accused of being a divorced man!”
”If I am, the action was not from me I then adopted the attitude I now propose to adopt I merely sat quiet There are persons concerned in this whom I refuse to injure”
”And what do you intend to do?” asked Father Healy ”There will be a horrible scandal in Grey Town”
”I shall do what I did in the States--just live it down and wait Tiht,” said Denis Quirk
”Your wife has ain?” the priest asked
”I believe she has Father Healy, all that I ask of you is your confidence and trust There is certain to be a storh to stand it I don't wish to lose my friends, you least of all
Will you believe in me?”
Father Healy looked in the ly He was particularly ugly that day, but Father Healy could read human nature, and he believed that Denis Quirk was honest
”I would have preferred you to have proved yourself innocent,” he said
”I cannot do that; others can It is for them to speak, not me,” replied Denis
”I promise that I will hold to you,” said the priest
”Thank you, Father If you will do that--you, the old ood priest left ”The Mercury” in a particularly dejected fra for him
”Well?” he said ”A canard, I suppose?”
Father Healy made no reply
”You don't mean to tell ed man, but he refuses to speak”
”I et away hoht”
Denis Quirk was still sitting as the priest had left him when Dr Marsh burst in upon him, and plumped down on the chair that had been vacated by Father Healy
”See here, Quirk,” he began, without further explanation, ”I am a man of the world, and I know the utmost capabilities of human wickedness I don't believe you are a real libertine But I know Grey Town Many a dog has been hanged here because of his bad name You must disprove this”