Page 184 - dubliners

‘Good idea,’ said Mr. Power. ‘The four of us together.’
Mr. Kernan was silent. The proposal conveyed very little
meaning to his mind, but, understanding that some spiritu-
al agencies were about to concern themselves on his behalf,
he thought he owed it to his dignity to show a stiff neck.
He took no part in the conversation for a long while, but
listened, with an air of calm enmity, while his friends dis-
cussed the Jesuits.
‘I haven’t such a bad opinion of the Jesuits,’ he said, inter-
vening at length. ‘They’re an educated order. I believe they
mean well, too.’
‘They’re the grandest order in the Church, Tom,’ said Mr.
Cunningham, with enthusiasm. ‘The General of the Jesuits
stands next to the Pope.’
‘There’s no mistake about it,’ said Mr. M’Coy, ‘if you
want a thing well done and no flies about, you go to a Je-
suit. They’re the boyos have influence. I’ll tell you a case in
point....’
‘The Jesuits are a fine body of men,’ said Mr. Power.
‘It’s a curious thing,’ said Mr. Cunningham, ‘about the
Jesuit Order. Every other order of the Church had to be re-
formed at some time or other but the Jesuit Order was never
once reformed. It never fell away.’
‘Is that so?’ asked Mr. M’Coy.
‘That’s a fact,’ said Mr. Cunningham. ‘That’s history.’
‘Look at their church, too,’ said Mr. Power. ‘Look at the
congregation they have.’
‘The Jesuits cater for the upper classes,’ said Mr. M’Coy.
‘Of course,’ said Mr. Power.

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