It was Miss Becky Chattesworth who involved the poor general in this hypocrisy.

It was not exactly her money; it was her force of will and unflinching audacity that established her control over an easy, harmless, plastic old gentleman.
'They are unpleasant--devilish unpleasant--somewhere in the body, I think, hey?
they're stooping again, stooping again--eh ?--_plaguy_ unpleasant, Sir (the general was thinking how Miss Becky's tongue would wag, and what she might not even _do_, if O'Flaherty died).

Ha! on they go again, and a--Puddock--getting in--and that's Toole.

He's not so much hurt--eh?
He helped himself a good deal, you saw; but (taking heart of grace) when a quarrel does occur, Sir, I believe, after all, 'tis better off the stomach at once--a few passes--you know--or the crack of a pistol--who's that got in--the priest--hey?
by George!' 'Awkward if he dies a Papist,' said cynical old Bligh--the R.I.A.

were Protestant by constitution.
'That never happens in our corps, Sir,' said the general, haughtily; 'but, as I say, when a quarrel--does--occur--Sir--there, they're off at last; when it does occur--I say--heyday! what a thundering pace! a gallop, by George! that don't look well (a pause)--and--and--a--about what you were saying--you know he _couldn't_ die a Papist in our corps--no one does--no one ever _did_--it would be, you know--it would be a _trick_, Sir, and O'Flaherty's a gentleman; it _could_ not be--( he was thinking of Miss Becky again--she was so fierce on the Gunpowder Plot, the rising of 1642, and Jesuits in general, and he went on a little flustered); but then, Sir, as I was saying, though the thing has its uses----.' 'I'd like to know where society'd be without it,' interposed Bligh, with a sneer.
'Though it may have its uses, Sir; it's not a thing one can sit down and say is _right_--we _can't_!' 'I've heard your sister, Miss Becky, speak strongly on that point, too,'said Bligh.
'Ah! I dare say,' said the general, quite innocently, an coughing a little.