General John Regan

. He joined the sergeant an

anks be to God. The people will only have themselves to

able Moriarty," said the sergea

ay that,"

gentleman that owns i

Doyle to give some information about

of money, whoever he

ave led a stranger to suppose that the Connacht Eagle was not a paying property. He greeted Sergeant Colgan and Moriarty with friendly warmth. When he had nothing else to write leading articles about he usually denounced the police, accusing them of various crimes, from the simple swearing away of the liberties of innocent men to

nd along the dusty mud guard, opened and shut one of the doors, s

nant you have within i

Gallagher was obliged to be contemptuous of Lords-Lieutenant. Doyle looked offended and at first

e said, "it very

d Doyle. "Nor it's no

r, "it's some other of them

ntleman surely," s

he's one of the bosses of the Congested Districts Board. Them ones is well paid

ood at a little distance and smiled pleasantl

y Ellen?" he said. "Why aren't you

m," said

n't I see you standing there g

g for his dinner,

The suggestion that she was grinning

d Doyle, "why don't

l I giv

run across to Kerrigan the butcher and ask him for a couple. It'll be quicker than killin

id Sergeant Colgan hopefully,

Moriarty winked at her as she passed. Mary Ellen was a good girl.

ies to perform that you can afford to be standing there all day making

. He must have wanted very much to hear something more about Doyle's guest, but he marched off up the street f

e said, "and if he isn't the Chief S

," said Doyle, "

ere was fewer of them came back to us. What I say is this: What good are they? What do they do, only upset the minds of the p

hat he is a Yank a

carried a small parcel, wrapped in newspaper.

is it your opinion that the

be," said

hem chops for him. Why would you keep him waiting

say he was a Yank

ou'd heard the way he was talking. 'Is there a live man in the place a

vil take him,"

yself,' said he. 'I'm reckoned middling good at

her. "Let him try if it pl

unity came almost at once. Mr. Billing appeared at the door of the hotel. He looked extraordinarily cool and competent. He also looked rather severe. His forehead was puckered to a frown.

t hired girl of yours? It'll be time for breakfast to-morrow mornin

ntleman's dinner?" Then he sank his voice. "She's frying the chops this minute,

rward and stood bowing, his hat in his hands. Wealthy Americans may be objectionable, but they are ra

r," he said. "Mr. Tha

rteously and shook ha

said. "Proud to meet any prom

"is the proprietor of the Connach

per in Ballymoy. It was the only newspaper publi

y called the principal one. Mr. Billi

aid. "I control two-thirds of the

t. Doyle felt more than ever that his new guest was a man

uld be ready for you now, and if you'll tel

a stroll round this section. There are some things I want to see.

nd as for sparing the time, he has plenty of that

course," sai

an, woman, or child, that he isn't acquainted with, and anything there might be to tell ab

said Mr. Billing, "is the statue to

lagher edged away a little. He seemed inc

tue?" sa

r memorial," sa

the statue--" sa

und and caught Ga

," he said, "and tell the

to the statue--"

encouragingly, "the stat

statue of the deceased

s that at the present time there's no stat

me some," sa

t to be," said Doyle,

"that you can afford to neglect the memory of the great

tell the gentleman why there's no

first his words came to him slowly; but as he warm

eat men of the past that died on the scaffold in defence of the liberty of the people. It's the cursed system of Castle Government and the tyranny of the landlords, and the way the people is driven off their farms by the rack-renting flunkeys of the rent office.

tions thronged confusedly on his memory. Mr. Billing seemed to be listening with sympathy and admiration. It might be a long time before such a favourable opportunity for making a speech came to Gallagher again. Unfortunately

is fried,

. He had no wish to be subjected to unnecessary orato

said, "to go and eat them, the way

. He turned to go into the hotel. But he evidentl

Gallagher. I want to gather together all the local traditions which survive about the

he gentleman fancies in the way of a

very dirty table cloth, were a knife and fork, a plate which held two chops with a quantity of grease round them, and a dish with five pallid potatoes in it. The meal was not

sky is the drink you're most

Ellen, "and there's minerals

"I'll put you wise in the matter of making

l bring you now?"

than to Thady Gallagher's patriotic denunciation of the flunkeys of the rent office. Without waiting for an answer she we

in the street, stared at each other in

"is a drop of something to drin

ow is that at all?"

ts. You want it this minute, and you'll want it more bef

isfying draught. Thady emptied the tumbler without drawin

or and always had. What's more, you're a man I resp

"and may you live long to enjoy

nd if I do,

ler. As he did so Gallagher sp

in, I'd be glad if you'd tell me this. Who was G

ame more or less, before the gentleman within has finished his dinner

him

ering him, for he'll not re

said Gallagher, "and wha

nyway," said Doyle,

in a statue," said Gallagher. "What h

o be talking, but the rates is too high already without an

said Gallagher, "unless, of course, the gent

d be different. By the look of the motor-ca

sant one, and it was always possible that he might do so. H

fully, "that has no sense in the wa

, large quantities of it, a full ￡400 a year. He would have more sense than to spend any of it in erecting statues. Doyle, on the other hand, had money. He lent it freely, at a high rate

Gallagher, "if I knew who the Ge

he was one of them ones that fought against

the gentleman was saying

at at all?"

ticles and columns of news were still in that primitive stage of culture in which every statement made in print is accepted as certainly true, whereas the subscribers to The Times have been educated into an unworthy kind of scepticism. Also the readers of the Connacht Eagle read little or nothing else, while those who read The Times usually glance at one or two other papers as well, and even waste their time and unsettle their minds by dipping into books. Thus, in spite of the fact that The Times appears every day, and the Connacht Eagle o

he said, "as I do about the Gene

" said Doyle, "that he took th

llagher, "that you would

e, "so you may make you

what harm it

anyway I don't fancy spending my time talking

eel myself," s

but you'll have to go with him.