"She has got a firm hold on him," said the priest, "and it is a great pity. But what are we to do?"
"What could we do," said John, "but set the promise aside? Shiana is not bound to keep the promise. No man living would be bound to keep it in such a case. The promise is void."
"All that is true enough," said the priest, "but how is it to be set aside? That is the question. What is the first move we have to make?"
"The first move I should make, Father," said John, "would be to go east to Grey Dermot's house, and to come to the point with him and Sive without preface, and to tell them plain and straight that the promise is of no effect, and that it is only nonsense for them to expect that they could ever enforce it against the man."
"If you do that," said the priest, "I fancy the first move Sive will make will be to ask you shortly and stiffly who told you to come and speak to her, and was it Shiana that sent you to her with that message; and if it was, that her own advice to you is to go home and mind your own business, and to let Shiana do the same."
"Well, Father," said John, "what would you say to my going to speak to Shiana himself first?"
"And what would you say to him?" said the priest.
