By all her neighbors Mrs. Kerry was looked upon as a proud,
reserved person, who had held herself much aloof since her husband had
become Chief Inspector; and the reputation enjoyed by Red Kerry was
that of an aggressive and uncompanionable man. Now here was a lover's
meeting, not lacking the shy, downward glance of dark eyes as steel-
blue eyes flashed frank admiration.
Kerry, who quarrelled with everybody except the Assistant
Commissioner, had only found one cause of quarrel with Mary. He was a
devout Roman Catholic, and for five years he had clung with the
bull-dog tenacity which was his to the belief that he could convert
his wife to the faith of Rome. She remained true to the Scottish Free
Church, in whose precepts she had been reared, and at the end of the
five years Kerry gave it up and admired her all the more for her
Caledonian strength of mind. Many and heated were the debates he had
held with worthy Father O'Callaghan respecting the validity of a
marriage not solemnized by a priest, but of late years he had grown
reconciled to the parting of the ways on Sunday morning; and as the
early mass was over before the Scottish service he was regularly to be
seen outside a certain Presbyterian chapel waiting for his heretical
spouse.
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