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and Father Herrera . . . It was an odd thing, but he knew that he could never communicate with Father Herrera on anything which touched the religion they were supposed to share. Father Herrera was in favour of the new Mass, and one evening at the end of a rather silent dinner Father Quixote had been unwise enough to tell him how at the end of Mass he had the habit of silently speaking the words of St John’s Gospel which had been removed from the Liturgy.
    â€˜Ah, poetry,’ Father Herrera had replied with a note of disapproval.
    â€˜You don’t like St John?’
    â€˜The Gospel which goes by his name is not one of my favourites. I prefer St Matthew.’
    Father Quixote had found himself in a reckless mood that evening and he felt sure that an account of their conversation would be sent next day to the bishop. Alas! Too late. A monsignor can only be demoted by the Pope himself. He had answered, ‘I have always thought that the Gospel of St Matthew could be distinguished from the others as the Gospel of fear.’
    â€˜Why? What an extraordinary idea, monsignor.’
    â€˜In St Matthew there are fifteen references to Hell.’
    â€˜What of it?’
    â€˜To govern by fear . . . surely God can leave that to Stalin or Hitler. I believe in the virtue of courage. I don’t believe in the virtue of cowardice.’
    â€˜A child has to be educated through discipline. And we are all children, monsignor.’
    â€˜I don’t think a loving parent would educate by fear.’
    â€˜I hope this is not what you teach your parishioners.’
    â€˜Oh, I don’t teach them. They teach me.’
    â€˜Hell is not the monopoly of St Matthew, monsignor. Do you feel the same about the other Gospels?’
    â€˜There’s quite a big difference.’ Father Quixote hesitated, for he realized that now he was really on dangerous ground.
    â€˜What difference?’ Perhaps Father Herrera was hoping for a truly heretical reply which could be reported – of course by the proper channels – to Rome.
    Father Quixote told Father Herrera what he had told the Mayor. ‘In St Mark there are only two references to Hell. (Of course, he had his own speciality – he was the Apostle of pity.) In St Luke three references – he is the great storyteller. From him come most of the great parables. And St John – they say now that it’s the oldest Gospel of all – older than St Mark . . . It’s very strange.’ He hesitated.
    â€˜Well, what about St John?’
    â€˜There’s not one reference to Hell in his Gospel.’
    â€˜But surely, monsignor, you are not questioning the existence of Hell?’
    â€˜I believe from obedience, but not with the heart.’
    Like a full stop it was the end of the conversation.
    Father Quixote put on the brake in their dark and dreary street.
    â€˜The sooner we leave here the better,’ the Mayor said. ‘To think that we could have slept comfortably at the Palace.’
    A door opened as they passed up the stairs and the candlelight from an inner room showed the suspicious and scared face of the old woman.
    â€˜Why on earth does she look so frightened?’ the Mayor asked.
    â€˜Perhaps our fear is catching,’ Father Quixote said. As quickly as possible he slipped underneath the sheets half-undressed, but the Mayor took his time. He was more careful in folding his trousers and his jacket than Father Quixote, but he kept on his shirt and his underpants as though he too was prepared for some emergency.
    â€˜What on earth do you have in your pocket?’ he asked, shifting Father Quixote’s jacket.
    â€˜Oh, that’s Jone on Moral Theology. I put it in my pocket at the last moment.’
    â€˜What a book to bring on a holiday!’
    â€˜Well, I saw you had put in the car a book of Lenin’s essays and something by Marx.’
    â€˜I thought I would lend them to