h," said Mrs. Gregg, "is that all?"

Dr. O'Grady was conscious of a note of disappointment in her voice. He
felt that he had over-emphasized the simplicity of the performance. Mrs.
Gregg would have preferred a longer ceremony. He did his best to make
such amends as were still possible.

"Of course," he said, "your photograph will be in all the illustrated
papers afterwards, and there will be a long description of your dress in
The Irish Times."

"I'd love to do it," said Mrs. Gregg.

"Very well, then," said Dr. O'Grady, "we'll consider that settled."

Leaving Mrs. Gregg, he rode on to Major Kent's house. The Major, like
all men who are over forty years of age, who have good consciences and
balances in their banks, spent his Sunday afternoons sleeping in an
armchair. No one likes being awakened, either in a bedroom by a servant,
in a railway carriage by a ticket collector, or on a Sunday afternoon by
a friend. The Major answered Dr. O'Grady's greeting snappishly.

"If you've come," he said, "to ask me to make a speech at that meeting
of yours on Tuesday, you may go straight home again, for I won't do it."

"I'm not such a fool," said Dr. O'Grady pleasantly, "as to ask you to
do any such thing. I know jolly well you couldn't. Even if you could
and would, we shouldn't want you. We have Father McCormack, and Thady
Gallagher, besides the American. That's as much as any audience could
stand!"

"If it isn't that you want," said the Major, "what is it?"

"It's a pity you're in such an uncommonly bad temper, Major. If you
were even in your normal condition of torpid sulkiness you'd be rather
pleased to hear what I'm going to tell you."

"If you're going to tell me that you've dropped that statue folly, I
shall be extremely pleased."

"The news I have," said Dr. O'Grady, "is far better than that. We've
decided to ask the Lord-Lieutenant down to unveil the statue."

"He won't come," said the Major, "so that's all right."

"He will come when it's explained to him that----"

"Oh, if you offer him one of your explanations------"

"Look here, Major. I don't think you quite grasp the significance of
what I'm telling you. Ever since I've known you you've been deploring
the disloyalty of the Irish people. I don't blame you for that. You're
by way of being a Unionist, so of course you have to. But if you were
the least bit sincere in what you say, you'd be delighted to hear that
Doyle and Thady Gallagher--Thady hasn't act