Doyle tells me
you're never out of the back-yard of the hotel."

"You put it out that she was married to young Kerrigan."

"That was Thady Gallagher," said Dr. O'Grady, "and it didn't do her a
bit of harm. Nobody except Mr. Billing believed it."

"I don't mind that so much now," said Moriarty, "though I don't deny I
was angry at the time, but what I won't have is Mary Ellen dressed up to
be an ancient Irish colleen. It's not respectful to the girl."

"You told me the other day that you want the Lord-Lieutenant to make you
a sergeant. Did you mean that when you said it, or did you not?"

"It's no way to make a sergeant of me to be dressing up Mary Ellen."

"It's far the best way. When the Lord-Lieutenant sees her and hears----"

"It's not going to be done, anyway," said Moriarty, "for I won't have
it."

"Listen to me now," said Dr. O'Grady, "and you may take it that this is
my last word, for I haven't time to waste talking to you. If I catch
you interfering with Mary Ellen in any way or setting the girl's mind up
against the costume that Mrs. Gregg has designed for her, I'll speak to
Mr. Gregg, and have you transferred to some different county altogether,
where you'll never see Mary Ellen either in fancy dress or any other
way. What's more I'll represent your conduct to the Lord-Lieutenant, so
that you'll never be made a sergeant as long as you live."

These threats affected Moriarty. He had no doubt in his mind that Dr.
O'Grady could and would carry out the first of them. About the second he
was not quite so sure, but it remained a horrible possibility.

He saw that there was nothing to be done by opposing his will to a
powerful combination of private influence and official power. Without
speaking another word he turned and walked across the street to the
barrack. But his anger had by no means died away. He found Sergeant
Colgan asleep in the living-room. He woke him at once.

"I'll be even with that doctor," he said, "before I've done with him."

"That's threatening language," said the sergeant, who was not pleased
at being wakened, "and it's actionable; so you'd better mind yourself,
Moriarty. There's many a better man than you has gone to jail for less
than that. I knew a Member of Parliament one time that got three weeks
for no more than saying that he'd like to see the people beating the
life out of a land grabber. What has the doctor been doing to you?"

"It's about Mary Ellen."

"Get out," said the