“All right,” agreed Trix cheerfully. “And even supposing you guess the tiniest bit what I am talking about, you won’t let yourself guess, will you?”
Father Dormer assured her that he would not. He certainly felt she need have no smallest anxiety on that score, having in view her own method of explanation, but he tactfully refrained from saying so.
“Well,” began Trix again, and rather slowly, “A has a secret. He doesn’t know I know it, and I found it out quite by accident. He hasn’t said it is a secret, but I know it is, because nobody else knows about it. Well, B knows A, but doesn’t know A’s secret, and because she doesn’t know A’s secret she is unhappy about A’s conduct, whereas if she knew the secret I am pretty sure she wouldn’t be so unhappy. And A need never know B does know, even if I tell her. And I feel sure from A’s point of view it would not matter telling B, while it would be a good thing for B to know. But, in order to tell her, I may have to let her know how I learnt A’s secret, and in doing that I should possibly have to tell lies, or let her know C’s secret, which I promised not to tell. Because it was in meeting A that I found it out. Of course I may not have to do either, but there is the risk. Do you think I can take it? And is the matter quite clear now?”
Father Dormer smiled.
“I think I have grasped it,” he said. “Well, in the first place, it isn’t a matter of life and death, is it?”
“Oh no,” said Trix.
“Then if I were you, I wouldn’t take any risk about telling lies.”
“No,” said Trix relieved, “I thought I had better not. But then there is C’s secret.”
“Let us take A’s secret first,” suggested Father Dormer. “You feel quite sure it is important to let B know it, and that you are justified in disclosing it?”
Trix reflected.