Father Oliver flung himself between Father Moran and the door; Father Moran allowed himself to be led back to the armchair. Father Oliver took the chair opposite him, for he couldn't send Moran away; he mustn't do anything that would give rise to suspicion.
'You're quite sure I'm not in the way—I'm not interfering with any plans?'
'Quite sure. I'm glad you have come this evening.'
'Are you? Well, I had to come.'
'You had to come!'
'Yes, I had to come; I had to come to see if anything had happened. You needn't look at me like that; I haven't been drinking, and I haven't gone out of my mind. I can only tell you that I had to come to see you this evening.'
'And you don't know why?'
'No, I don't; I can't tell you exactly why I've come. As I was reading my breviary, walking up and down the road in front of the house, I felt that I must see you. I never felt anything like it in my life before. I had to come.'
'And you didn't expect to find me?'
'Well, I didn't. How did you guess that?'