he and Taigdh came out of their room and had listened on the
stairs. They did not understand everything that was said, they
only understood that I had sat for a statue, and that the priest
did not wish to put it up in his church, and that perhaps he would
have to pay for it, and if he did not the Bishop would suspend
him--you know there has always been talk about Father Tom's debts.
They got talking, and Taigdh said he would like to see the statue,
and he persuaded Pat to follow him, and they climbed along the
wall and dropped into the mews, and got the hasp off the door with
the kitchen poker."

"But why did they break the statue?" said Rodney.

"I don't think they know why themselves. I tried to get Pat to
tell me, but all he could tell me was that he had bumped against a
woman with a cloak on." "My lay figure."

"And in trying to get out of the studio they had knocked down a
bust, and after they had done that Taigdh said: 'We had better
have down this one. The priest does not like it, and if we have it
down he won't have to pay for it.'"

"They must have heard the priest saying that he did not want the
statue."

"Very likely they did, but I am sure the priest never said that he
wanted the statue broken."

"Oh, it is a great muddle," said Rodney. "But there it is. My
statue is broken. Two little boys have broken it. Two little boys