The Red Hand of Ulster

assailed by Godfrey. I wish very much that he was Conroy's nephew and not mine. Conroy goe

but I am afraid I shal

y, he is very glad, when he gets the chance of interrupting me. I should rese

ther you made out the invitation list yourself. I'm busy. Besides making out lis

en-parties," said Godfrey. "This

d you last time that your tailor could bring you into

anted to talk about something more important than a garden-

d Blackett a cheque

with garden-parties or tailors' bills, I could only suppos

t pause. "I went in there the day after your party and pl

patronage. I myself should be more inclined to cash his cheques for him if he stayed awa

een doing to you?

een doing an

' sake, Godfrey, l

e the way he

about that. You've complained about hi

home for more than a week at a time and Godfrey doe

for you to know what Crossan's doing. He's going about a

lse in the district over which I ought, according to Godfrey's theory, to be a kind of king, should assume a grandeur impossible for me is simply a

nferior machine," I said.

tay at home and mind his business. He must be neglecting things. But-I

said; "but, of course, if you won't leave me

to his doing this; because he could not talk and look mysterious at the same time, and I particularly dislike being talked to by Godfrey

he said, "that she'd had a l

me that to

ught to put a stop t

orget that he's one of the Powers of Kilfen

ch Godfrey possesses ought to have silenced him. He did, I th

as going on," he said,

her counter. Whatever Crossan might be doing she at all events was attending to her business. Godfrey took no

ght to be loc

as somewhat surpri

morning," said Godfrey

n hardly blame Crossan for its

ad inside," said Godfrey,

ng, was filled from floor to ceiling with packing-cases, some of t

, will you, Excell

I? I'm not a railway po

e for a moment if you don'

nd then set it down. The packing-case may have been heavy but it was quite small. It see

bells," I said. "The muscles of yo

taunt. He was in a state of

ssion to open thes

mission," I said. "How can I?

rom somebody. I should have supposed that having already forced a door he would not have boggled at the lid of a packing-case; but he did. He evidently had some vague idea that the

se is in those cas

al manure

rally comes to us in sacks, but there is no reason why it sho

la," said Godfrey. "She wouldn't come

e to accuse Conroy of smuggling," I said

Godfrey. "In fact, I'm going to write to

can if you like, but don

e never, since she was quite a little girl, interfered with Marion's freedom of action. I had not the smallest intention of making myself ridiculous by claiming any kind of authority over her, especially in a matter so purely personal as the young man she chose to favour. Besides, I like Bob Power. At worst there was nothing against him except his smuggling, and smuggling is much less objectionable than

hat you will take the first chanc

o Crossan. I was sorry afterwards that I did promise. Still, I very much wished to know what was in the packing

ooking vehicle. He evidently intended to go for a drive. I felt at once that I could not ask him a direct ques

ough, my lord,

of his praise. "Good enough" is, from C

bout a drive any day," he said

ar tone. It always seems to me that he wishes to emphasize the difference in our social station because he feels that the advantage is all on

country pretty quickl

rfectly expressionless face fo

I'm neglecting my work, you'v

h him in any way. My apology was as ample as possible. After another

ing round the country," he said,

at," I said. "But then

o be," sa

such conviction that I dared not contradict him and did not

er, as your lordshi

plied to Grand Masters, and I'm sure no

they'll have our throats cut in our b

re the "Papishes," C

t steps he, as Grand Master, was taking to prevent cut-throats creeping in on us while we s

n the Green Loaney Scutching Mill, is

r. It had an exactly opposite effect. Crossan

t be neglected," he said stif

were to condemn him to death and, being God-fearing men, were to allow him half an hour in which to make his soul; he would spend the time, not in saying his prayers, no

your duty," I said, "to go ro

the Home Rule Bill,

re of great complexity. I think I appreciated the orthodox Protestant view of it since the day I talked to McConkey. I

id, "it is the duty of every man to do his uttermost to

to enthusiasm. Huge crowds have cheered Babberly for saying these

ast, "if your lordship and other

t night; but he has always shown me in the end that he has in him a vein of strong common sense. He recognized that I was talking bombast w

ome up between us, though I fully intended that it should. Our talk about Home Rule gave me no clue to what was in the cases. I could scarcely suppose

er, closely type-written. It accused Bob Power and McNeice of using the Finola for smuggling without the owner's knowledge. It made out, I am bound to say, quite a good case. He had collected every possible scrap of evidence, down to Rose's new brooch. I suppose Marion told

in that letter? Anything that one g

n the whole it wa

his answer,"

a post-card. It consi

be a dam

und advice even if it's no

ctively, "and I'll make them all sorry fo