heard that once the Church gets her clamps on anything worth while all
hell can't pry her loose."

Now I don't know why, but at that, suddenly and inexplicably, as if I
had glimpsed a ray of light, I felt cheered.

"Why, that's it exactly!" said I, smiling. "Once the Church gets real
hold of a thing--or a man--worth while, she holds on so fast that all
hell can't pry her loose. Won't you try to remember that, my son!"

"If it's a joke, suck the marrow out of it yourself," said he sourly.
"It don't listen so horrible funny to me. And you haven't peeped yet
about what you're going to do. I'm waiting to hear. I'm real
interested."

"Why, I really don't know yet," said I, still cheerfully. "Suppose we
wait and see? Here you are, safe and harmless enough for the present.
And God is good; perhaps He knows that you and I may need each other
more than you and the police need each other--who can tell? I should
simply set myself strictly to the task of getting entirely well, if I
were you--and let it go at that."

He appeared to reflect; his forehead wrinkled painfully.

"Devil-dodger," said he, after a pause, "are you just making a noise
with your face, or is that on the level?"

"That's on the level."

His hard and suspicious eyes bored into me. And as I held his glance,