Aunt Julia shrugged her shoulders and said with meek pride:

‘Thirty years ago I hadn’t a bad voice as voices go.’

‘I often told Julia,’ said Aunt Kate emphatically, ‘that she was simply thrown away in that choir. But she never would be said by me.’

She turned as if to appeal to the good sense of the others against a refractory child, while Aunt Julia gazed in front of her, a vague smile of reminiscence playing on her face.

‘No,’ continued Aunt Kate, ‘she wouldn’t be said or led by anyone, slaving there in that choir night and day, night and day. Six o’clock on Christmas morning! And all for what?’

‘Well, isn’t it for the honour of God, Aunt Kate?’ asked Mary Jane, twisting round on the piano-stool and smiling.

Aunt Kate turned fiercely on her niece and said:

‘I know all about the honour of God, Mary Jane, but I think it’s not at all honourable for the pope to turn out the women out of the choirs that have slaved there all their lives and put little whipper-snappers of boys over their heads. I suppose it is for the good of the Church, if the pope does it. But it’s not just, Mary Jane, and it’s not right.’

She had worked herself into a passion and would have continued in defence of her sister, for it was a sore subject with her, but Mary Jane, seeing that all the dancers had come back, intervened pacifically.

‘Now, Aunt Kate, you’re giving scandal to Mr. Browne, who is of the other persuasion.’

Aunt Kate turned to Mr. Browne, who was grinning at this allusion to his religion, and said hastily:

‘O, I don’t question the pope’s being right. I’m only a stupid old woman and I wouldn’t presume to do such a thing. But there’s such a thing as common everyday politeness and gratitude. And if I were in Julia’s place I’d tell that Father Healey straight up to his face …’

‘And besides, Aunt Kate,’ said Mary Jane, ‘we really are all hungry and when we are hungry we are all very quarrelsome.’

‘And when we are thirsty we are also quarrelsome,’ added Mr. Browne.

‘So that we had better go to supper,’ said Mary Jane, ‘and finish the discussion afterwards.’

On the landing outside the drawing-room Gabriel found his wife and Mary Jane trying to persuade Miss Ivors to stay for supper. But Miss Ivors, who had put on her hat and was buttoning her cloak, would not stay. She did not feel in the least hungry and she had already overstayed her time.

‘But only for ten minutes, Molly,’ said Mrs. Conroy. ‘That won’t delay you.’

‘To take a pick itself,’ said Mary Jane, ‘after all your dancing.’

‘I really couldn’t,’ said Miss Ivors.

‘I am afraid you didn’t enjoy yourself at all,’ said Mary Jane hopelessly.

‘Ever so much, I assure you,’ said Miss Ivors, ‘but you really must let me run off now.’

‘But how can you get home?’ asked Mrs. Conroy.