Note 51 — THE LAST OF THE GERALDINES.

The priests then, to render mass handy, invariably kept their manual in their breeches with a piece of strong green ribbon (having beads at the end of it) to lug it out by, resembling the chain of a modern buckish parson’s timepiece. They also gave another very extraordinary reason for keeping their manual in their smallclothes—namely, that no devil would presume to come near them when he was sure he should have the mass to encounter before he could get at their carcases.