The Prudence of the Flesh (31 page)

“Let's have another drink,” Tetzel suggested.

“What do I have to drink to?”

“How about three in the morning?”

Drummond thought about it. “I'm game.”

At the end of August, Tommy Barrett went off to begin his first semester at Notre Dame. His father drove him down. It was not the joyful occasion it might have been, but things could be worse. Fuller was pleading Nancy Barrett temporarily insane, driven to the dreadful deed by Ned Bunting's harassment.

Amos Cadbury lifted his eyes when he told Father Dowling of the plea. “What would Dante have made of our world, Father Dowling?”

“Do you know the episode of Manfred in the
Purgatorio
?”

“Tell me.”

A terrible man—a murderer, a tyrant, whatever his redeeming qualities—had at the moment of death cried one tear of repentance and was saved.

“How can you repent if you deny having done a thing?” Amos asked.

“If you mean Mrs. Barrett, you're wrong.”

“Innocent by reason of insanity?”

“Oh, that's just courtroom jabber.”

Amos thought about it. Doubtless there were things Father Dowling knew about the woman that he did not. Still, it was difficult for a lawyer to negate the demands of justice. Difficult but not impossible.

“The poor woman,” he said.

“Amen.”