“Every man and woman worth the name in Ireland would die before they consented to such a thing.”
“It’ll come to pass. What’s really wrong with Ireland is religion. You can say what you like. The religion is distorted, people aren’t balanced about it. I’d like to see a wave of agnosticism pass through the country, and after that people might take up religion at its true value.”
“Of course we both think so differently. But I tell you that such a thing can never happen in this country.”
A blaze of light shone suddenly into the room. There were loud sounds of throbbing engines. We both started to our feet when a knock, which should have roused all the dead in Ireland, shook the front door.
Mrs. Slaney’s hand flew to her heart.
“What’s that?” I hardly heard her voice above the noise.
She moved towards the door and then back again. Again the house was shaken with the knocking.
Mrs. Slaney put out the light.
“Don’t do that,” I said sharply. “You’ll draw fire.”
She put it up again, and ran out of the room and halfway up the stairs, as if she remembered something. Then she turned and came back.