"You didn't speak to her about your plans to induce her to accept the engagement?"
"Not yet."
"Shall you?"
"I suppose so, but I cannot somehow imagine that she will ever go back to the stage. She said, having made money enough for the nuns, she had finished with the stage for ever, and was glad of it."
"Once an idea gets into our minds we become the slaves of it, and her mind was always more like a man's than a woman's mind."
This point was discussed, Ulick pretending not to understand Owen's meaning in order to draw him into confidences.
"She has asked you to go to see her, so I suppose she likes you. I wish you well. Anything rather than Monsignor should get her. You have my best wishes."
"What does he mean by saying I have his best wishes? Does he mean that he would prefer me to be her lover, if that would save her from religion? Would he use me as the cat uses the monkey to pull the chestnuts out of the fire, and then take them from me." But he did not question Owen as to his meaning, and showed no surprise when a few days afterwards Owen came into the drawing-room, interrupting him in his work, saying:
"Have you forgotten?"
"Forgotten what?"