General John Regan

in elections as they are in England. There very seldom are elections in the west of Ireland; but

ends or supporters who could lend him anything more expensive than a horse. Therefore motor drives are an unknown luxury to most Connacht men. Thady Gallagher, though he was a newspaper editor, had never travelled even in the side car of a motor-cycle. When Mr. Billing made it clear that he m

l?" he said. "What am I

now you have the chance. He doesn't know the way. What's to hinder

ff impatiently. He even attempted an appeal to Major Kent, quite vainly. The Major was still smarting under the rhetorical

ut of sight Major Kent and Doy

" said the Major, "by talking in this

ke at the

rious thing that you'd be letting me in for ￡5 when you know

interrupte

"and say ￡32 10s. for the filly. It's a pity to see

" said Doyle, "that ha

the Major, "at ￡32 10s. I don't want to go on

e her," s

to recover command of his temper. Doyle also smiled. He believed that he was buying for ￡32 10s. an animal for which Major Kent

use while I speak a word or two to Doyle. I'll be round

?" said the Major, "I'd

n. But the tone in which he asked for informati

as I tell you," said Dr. O'Grady. "At present I

?" said the Major. "That is to say if there is

one for Doyle. I can't give them both at once, because they're di

ons," said the Major, "not two true ones. B

everything from such different points of view. Now do trot along, Major, and don't interrupt me any more. That

spoke and pushed him some little way alo

ll over that filly. Strictly speaking, you owe me

0," said Doyle, "it'll may

about," said Dr. O'Grady

he was," said Doyl

eone was to walk into your hotel and tell you to forward ten dozen bottles of whisky-the best you had-to his aunt, and supposing that he told his aunt's name was

I wouldn't care whether the fellow ever had an aunt, o

fectly willing to pay for it. Why should you bother your head about who the statue is supposed to represent?

a lot in what you say. But what I don't see is this: I'd make something out of the whisky

ll, there might be a little balance in hand at the end. There often is. Nobody ever inquires about those balances. If

n't say but-looking at the matter in that way-and besides there'd be a commission from the fel

d by somebody with a respectable looking subscription. I put it to you now as a business man, did you ever hear of a case in

ctor," said Doyl

every way you possibly can. It's all for your o

one thing more

as you can. I've still got t

uestion," said Doyle, "what are yo

I'm going into the business for the fun o

said Doyle, w

this statue. It offers me a little excitement and variety. But as you won't believe it I'

the last man in Ireland to p

e ￡7 10s. you're making on the filly, I'll expect you to stop talking about w

d

ason for my taking all the tr

course. Why

ber, Doyle, that I offered you the truth and you wouldn't have it. I didn'

l of trouble in the matter of General John Regan's statue without gaining something by it. But he adm

nd him straight round to me. Don't you attempt to extricate him or you'll make matters worse. I shall

Dr. O'Grady found his friend in a

ion which you gave to Doyle," said the Major. "

hatever would be necessary. You'd grasp the situation for yourself. If you were even fairly intelligent a short explanati

y got to give a simple answer to a perfectly plain question. Who was Genera

tell you all I know about the General you'll stil

on't. Just tell me all you know about th

ow anything at all about the General. I ne

red in the face. Then he spluttered explo

ean, O'Grady, by --? I'm han

ied. I've told you all I know about the General, and so far from

the Major, "but if there's no

eminent people still alive whose names I've never heard, and when it comes to dead people there are probably millions, scattered up and down through history books, wh

is General. I don't. Doyle doesn't. You don't.

g or whatever his name is-to put up a statue

ere?" said the Major. "Wha

ixed up Ballymoy with some other town, with the town in which Regan was really born. This General of his was e

Major, "we ought to tel

g that he's made a mistake. In the next place, why on earth should we miss the chance of getting a statue in Ballymoy? We haven't got one at present, and a good statue-we'll get quite a respectable one for Billing's ￡100, even if we don't subscribe a penny ourselves-will be a great ornament to the town. You may not care for statues, Major, but a

money out of this fool of an American under false p

General himself, the original John Re

hing we do know about him is tha

re's no fraud so fa

ut him. I was talking

es it. He'll be quite satisfied if we have the statue here. If we don't he'll have to go to a lot of trouble and expense looking up another birthplace for the General. When he finds one the people there may not be as civil and obliging as we are. O

t sighed

you'll get us all into trouble before you've d

liberated. In the meanwhile we're fairly safe in working up any kind of local tradition we can think of. If that sort of thing is well done there's practically no risk of discovery. Even if the stories don't exactly fit in with what's known about the General's later life, it doesn't matter. The things that are told about the boyhood of great men are all invented afterwards. Nobody expects them to be true; but

g straight home and don't mean to leave the h

tunately we must have you. You give an air of solid respectability to the proceedings. You inspire confidence. We can't

him. He has t

anyway. She loves a

you away," said the Majo

d to send Gallagher off alone with Billing. Poor Thady is such an ass. But what could I do? I couldn't go myself bec

anation that you gave to Doyle? It was different

on't find out what's wrong with her for about a fortnight or three weeks. He'll be so busy over this Ge

d," said the Major, "who's been let i

, when you were stuck and I helped you to get

d the Major. "Perhaps you intend to p

"My idea is to get Doyle's money

lated some dishonourable use of public money. He was just beginning to make a violent pr

e by coming over to the hotel at once

O'Grady, jumping up. "You've m

llagher, "but he wouldn't rest co

, "what on earth have you said?

as for the best. But anyway you'd better come round to

. "You'll enjoy watching us get out o

n in standing still and listening to you telling lies to that

"I may want you. I can't tell yet whether I shall or

jor hu

going,"

out her, and as you haven't got the money for her yet-well, you know what Doyle is. He'

curiosity to find out what trouble Gallagher had got into with Mr. Billing: It may simply have