“The grand-niece,” said Dr. O’Grady.
“She’s neither the one nor the other,” said the Major.
Dr. O’Grady glanced at Father McCormack. He saw by the look on the priest’s face that there was no use trying to prove Mary Ellen’s relationship. He laughed good-naturedly, and at once offered a satisfactory explanation of the position.
“Mr. Billing,” he said, “insisted on our producing some sort of relative for the dead General. He wouldn’t have given that £100 if we hadn’t. Now what I say is this——”
“You’d say anything,” said the Major.
“I’m not talking to you now, Major. I’m talking to Father McCormack, who’s a man of sense, with some knowledge of the world. The way I’m putting it to him is this: Supposing there was a job going a begging, a nice comfortable job under the Government, with no particular duties attached to it, except just to look pleasant and be generally agreeable—there are such jobs.”
“Plenty, plenty,” said Father McCormack.
“And they’re well paid,” said the Major.
“And supposing that you were asked to nominate a man for the post——” Dr. O’Grady still addressed himself only to Father McCormack. “You might be, you know. In fact you, and other people in your position often are, though there’s always supposed to be a competitive examination.”
“Nobody believes in examinations,” said the Major.