No Defense, Complete

the worst. Is there a man in Ireland that believes in it, or trusts it? There are men that support it, that are served by it, that fill

drinking too much. Shortly before Dyck had lost all his cash at the card-table. He had turned

ok him b

-day. Let's go where we can forget the world, where we can lift th

dly, his manner was hospitable, and he was on the spot. The time was critical for Dyck-cr

ck had replied that he would cut out his own course, trim his own path, walk his own way. He had angered his father terribly, and Miles, in a burst of temper, had disclosed the fact that his

ood spirits. Dissipated as Boyne's look was, he had a natural handsomeness which, with good care of himself pers

second wife, Noreen, was a beautiful, quick-tempered, lovable eighteen-year-old girl, a graduate of the kitchen and dairy, when he took her to himself. He had married her in a mad moment after his first wife-Mrs. Llyn,

n nature. She came to know of his infidelities, and they maddened her. They had no children, and in the end he had thr

said for Noreen-that she kept her home spotlessly clean, even with two indifferent servants. She had a gift for housewife

ongs. Erris Boyne had slapped her face on the morning of the day when he met Dyck Calhou

ute to what was, reputedly, a tavern of consequence. There choice spirits met on occasion, and dark souls, like Boyne, planned adventures. Outwardly it was a tavern of the old class, superficially

e, the other at the side of the house, which was on a corner.

bitues, and presently were bestowed in a room, not large, but well furnished. It was quiet and alluring on this day when the world seemed disconcerting.

won five times what he had lost at t

itch all at the same time. I tell you this, Boyne-I'm going to stop. No man ought to play card

tten that, Calhoun. You've a

ey out of it so far," D

reputations out of the

few tricks I've learned. I can't

lf in the way of winnin

or me, thank you-if t

nor drink, nor sleep without being under command. He has to do a lot of dirty

ld be for most of us!" retorted D

en coming to the Harp and Crown for many years, and I've never had a bad drink all that time. The old landlord is a genius. He

st. "Why should this little twopenny, one-horse place-I mean in size and furnishments

year, you know as well as I do, ships have been coming from France to Ireland with the very best wines and liquors, and taking back the very best wool-smuggled, of course. Well, our little landlord here

ch a favourit

s her duty to do it or die? No, it's because she likes the man; because the man is a good friend to her; because it's money in her pocket. That's the case with old Swinton. France kis

and, as he said these w

ght. We suffer here because monarchy, with its c

drunken eyes of Dyck. He only realized that Dyck

the basket. They're sweeping the dirt out of France; they're cleaning the dark places; they're whitewashing Versailles and sawdusting the Tuileries; they're purging the a

come first, then Wales, Scotland, and England. Dear lad, the great day is come-the greatest the

yes, but his face had become flushed. He reache

t-not for one icy minute. I don't want to see here in Ireland the horrors and s

here were difficulties, and he must not throw his chances away. Dyck wa

, from the Giant's Causeway to Tralee; no two sets of feet dancing alike, with the bloody hand of England stretching out over the Irish Parliament

, because we're what we are. We've never been properly put i

ace. In spite of Dyck's words, he fe

independent fortune at the tables. There are but two courses open to you. One is to join the British forces-to be a lieutenant, a c

rd, eh?" asked Dyck with irony. "You think I'

o much, I'm thinking. So there's a career in the French navy open. And listen-before you and I are two months older, the French navy will be in the harbours of Ireland, and the French army will land here." He reached out and grasped Dyck's arm. "There's no liberty of freed

his head was bowed as though with deep interest in what Boyne said. And, indeed, his interest was great-so

id in a tone that showed interest. "Of course, I know there's been a lot o

s-war-ships, commanded by Hoche. They'll have orders to land on the coast, to jo

He was playing a daring game. If he had not been sure o

nch invasion, and a sense of what Boyne was trying to do, steadied his shaken emotions; held him firmly in

penny of their property here? Aren't there Irishmen there, always conniving to put England at defiance here by breaking her laws, cheating her officers, seducing her patriots? Of course; but what astounds me is that a man of your stan

want, is it? Well

r-bound case and took from it a letter, w

t the documen

in the French artillery! Well, that'd be

u tell it, Calhoun, and you're too m

e one of these if you

he army of George III, if I wanted it, but I don't want it; and any man

remarked Boyne, reaching out

ack in his chair. "I'm not an adventurer," he said

s face. He did not grasp the meaning

unts for so much-spoils of war. When they're out on a country like this, they let their officers loose-their officers and men. Did yo

never

s you, with brains and ambition, there's no height he mightn't reach in this country. Think of it-Ireland free from English control; Ireland, with all her dreams, living her own life, fearless, independent, as it was in days of yore. Why, what's to prevent you, D

y. "How is it to be done?" He spoke a little thickly, for, in spite of himsel

ld ever do-Cromwell, or any other. Well, then, don't you see the fateful moment has come in Irish life and history? Strife everywhere! Alone, what can we do? Alone, if we try to shake off the yoke that binds us we shall be shattered, and our last end be worse than our first. But with French ships, French offic

ping the fatal meaning of the whole thing. He looked Erris Boyne in the eyes. His own were

the decline of Dyck's fortunes with an eye of appreciation; he had seen the clouds of poverty and anxiety closing in. He had known of old Miles Calhoun's financi

red for Dyck's i

drink wine together. No-by Heaven, no! I don't know whether you've told me the truth or not, but I think you have. There's this to say-I shall go from this place to Dublin Castle, and shall tell them there-without mentioning your name-what you've told about the

ce of old Swinton, the landlord of the Harp and Crown. Suddenly Boyne's look changed.

anted to find out exactly how you stood-faithful or unfaithful to the crown-and I've found out. Sit down, sit down, Calhoun, dear lad. Take your hand off your sword. Remember, these are terrible days. Everything I said about Ireland is true. What I said about France is false. Sit down, man, and if you're going to join the king's army-as I hope and tr

k, in his state of semi-drunkenness, could not, at the instant, place him in his true light. Besides, there

like a schoolboy disclosing the deeds of some adventurous knight. He realized to the fu

ut of Ireland. It would be simple. A little more drugged wine, and he would be asleep and powerless-it had already tugged

ief thing now was to prime him with the drugged wine till he lost consciousness, and then carry him away to the land of the guillotine. Dyck's tempestuous nature, t

ming over his senses. With a good-natured, ribald laugh, Boyne poured o

nd he raised his own glass of gin, l

is nature, Dyck raised the glass of marsala to

e," he said. "I didn't think an

Calhoun. It's not har

Boyne struck a light and held it out across the small table. Dyck leaned forward, but, as he did so, the

sound asleep," he said, and laughed scornfully to himself. "Well, when it's dark we must get him away. He

use, when the door leading into the street opened softly, and a woman st

ate. The knife she carried under her skirt flashed out and into Boyne's

cry-a smothered exclamation. Then she opened the door again-the

is silence, stark and still. At the table, with his head sunk in his ar

nelt on the floor beside