Opposite him stood a small brick church, retired by a few yards of turf, crossed by a path, from the iron railings that abutted on the pavement: and a notice-board proclaimed that in this, church of the Sacred Heart mass was said on Sundays at eleven, on holidays of obligation at nine, and on weekdays at eight-thirty A.M.Confessions were heard on Saturday evenings and on Thursday evenings before the first Friday, from eight to nine P.M.Catechism was at three P.M.on Sundays; and rosary, sermon and benediction at seven P.M.A fat cat, looking as if it were dead, lay relaxed on the grass beneath this board.
The door was open and Frank considered an instant.

But he thought that could wait for a few minutes as he glanced at the next house.

This was obviously the presbytery.
Frank had never begged from a priest before, and he hesitated a little now.

Then he went across the street into the shadow on the other side, leaned against the wall and looked.

The street was perfectly empty and perfectly quiet, and the hot summer air and sunshine lay on all like a charm.