Here was the worldly lever with which Father Beret
hoped to raze Alice's prison and free her from the terrible doom
with which she was threatened.
The first interview was at Father Beret's cabin, to which, as will
be remembered, the priest and Farnsworth went after their meeting
in the street. It actually came to nothing, save an indirect
understanding but half suggested by Father Beret and never openly
sanctioned by Captain Farnsworth. The talk was insinuating on the
part of the former, while the latter slipped evasively from every
proposition, as if not able to consider it on account of a curious
obtuseness of perception. Still, when they separated they shook
hands and exchanged a searching look perfectly satisfactory to
both.
The memory of that interview with the priest was in Farnsworth's
mind when, boiling with rage, he left Hamilton's presence and went
forth into the chill February air. He passed out through the
postern and along the sodden and queachy aedge of the prairie,
involuntarily making his way to Father Beret's cabin. His
indignation was so great that he trembled from head to foot at
every step. The door of the place was open and Father Beret was
eating a frugal meal of scones and sour wine (of his own make, he
said), which he hospitably begged to share with his visitor. A
fire smouldered on the hearth, and a flat stone showed, by the
grease smoking over its hot surface, where the cakes had been
baked.
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