16
PARTISAN REVIEW
nothing. That evening he called the Cathedral rectory and got one
of the curates. Monsignor Renton wasn't expected
in
until very late.
The curate had made the announcement at his two Masses, but no
one had come to him about it. "Yes, Father, as you say, it's quite
possible someone came to Monsignor about it. Probably he didn't
consider it important enough to call you about."
UNot important!"
"Not important enough to call
you
about, Father. On
Sunday.»
"I see," said Father Udovic mildly. It was good to know that
the curate, after almost a year of listening to Monsignor Renton, was
stilI respectful. Some of the men out in parishes said Father Udovic's
job was a snap and maintained that he'd landed it only because he
employed the touch system of typing. Before hanging up, Father
Udovic stressed the importance of resolving the question of the en–
velope, but somehow (words played tricks on him) he sounded as
though he were accusing the curate of indifference. What a change!
The curate didn't take criticism very well, as became all too clear
from his sullen silence, and he wasn't very loyal. When Father U dovic
suggested that Monsignor Renton might have neglected to make the
announcement at his Masses, the curate readily agreed. "Could've
slipped his mind all right. I guess you know what that's like."
Early the next morning Father Udovic was in touch with Mon–
signor Renton, beginning significantly with a glowing report on the
Peter's Pence collection, but the conversation languished, and finally
he had to ask about the announcement.
"Nobody showed," Monsignor Renton said in an annoyed voice.
"What d'ya want to do about it?"
"Nothing right now," said Father Udovic, and hung up.
If
there
had been a failure in the line of communication, he thought he knew
where it was.
The envelope had reposed on the Archbishop's desk over the
weekend and through most of Monday. But that afternoon Father
Udovic, on one of his appearances in the Archbishop's office, noticed
that it was gone.
As
soon as the Archbishop left for the day, Father
Udovic rushed in, looking first in the wastebasket, then among the
sealed outgoing letters, for a moment actually expecting to see a fat
one addressed in the Archbishop's hand to the Apostolic Delegate.
When he uncovered the envelope in the "Out" section of the file
