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The narrator soon discovers that Old Cotter has come to the house to share the news that Father Flynn is dead. Knowing that everyone is waiting for his reaction, the boy affects an uninterested air and remains quiet and continues to eat his food so as not to give any physical response to the news. While the aunt shuffles food to and from the table, a conversation ensues between the narrator’s uncle and Old Cotter, and the uncle notes the high hopes Father Flynn had for the narrator. The narrator’s uncle hints to Old Cotter that Father Flynn planned to prepare the narrator for the priesthood and remarks on the intimacy between the two of them.
Old Cotter, however, is less impressed by Father Flynn and the narrator’s close relationship. Old Cotter insists he would not want his own children to be associated with “a man like that.” He continues that young boys should play with people their own age and not spend so much time alone with an aging priest. The narrator’s uncle agrees with Old Cotter and says that while education is a good thing, young boys should also be outside and getting exercise. While the narrator’s uncle is clearly on Old Cotter’s side, the narrator’s aunt is disturbed that anyone could think critically of Father Flynn. She asks Old Cotter to clarify his point and Old Cotter insists that too much education, especially from Father Flynn, is “bad for children” because their young minds are so impressionable. The narrator’s aunt pushes Old Cotter to elaborate but he trails off and the conversation ends. The narrator is irritated by Old Cotter and his opinions.
However, that night, Old Cotter’s comments keep the boy from sleeping. He lies in bed and tries to piece together Old Cotter’s unfinished insinuations about Father Flynn and their relationship. He is also angry that Old Cotter kept referring to him as a child. As the narrator tries to make sense of so much confusion, he starts to imagine Father Flynn’s gray face hovering over him. The narrator becomes frightened and pulls his blanket over his head and tries to think of Christmas as a distraction. Finally, the narrator falls asleep. It is not a pleasant sleep, however, because the narrator’s dreams are plagued by Father Flynn. He dreams of Father Flynn smiling with spittle covered lips and the narrator suddenly feels that Father Flynn is trying to confess something to him.
