yle's cement should be subjected to
any strain whatever.

At nine o'clock on the morning of the Lord-Lieutenant's visit, Dr.
O'Grady, with the help of Doyle and two labourers, who had three
step-ladders, veiled the statue. They draped it from the head to the
bottom of the pedestal in a large sheet of blay calico of a light
yellowish colour. This was carefully done, and an elaborate arrangement
of string was made, leading out from the statue to the place where the
Lord-Lieutenant was to stand. Dr. O'Grady satisfied himself by a series
of experiments that the apparatus would work. At a single pull at the
end of the string the whole sheet fluttered to the ground and exposed
the Deputy-Lieutenant to public view.

It was ten o'clock before these arrangements were completed and the
step-ladders taken away. Dr. O'Grady went into the barrack and warned
Sergeant Colgan that he would be held personally responsible if any
curious wayfarer pulled the string before the proper time. Sergeant
Colgan at once ordered Moriarty to mount guard over the statue. Dr.
O'Grady went over to the hotel and inspected the luncheon table. He
had laid it himself the night before, so he felt fairly confident that
everything was as it should be; but he was not inclined to run any
risks. It was just possible that Doyle, acting on advice from somebody
else, might have altered the position of the spoons and forks during the
night.

"It'll be after lunch," said Dr. O'Grady, "that we'll introduce the
subject of a pier."

"Then or sooner," said Doyle.

"Hints will have been given before that," said Dr. O'Grady. "Father
McCormack has promised to touch on the undeveloped condition of our
fishing industry when he's making his introductory remarks previous to
the unveiling of the statue. If I get half a chance, I mean to point out
what excellent stones there are in that old mill of yours. The matter
is distinctly alluded to at the end of the illuminated address, but I'm
afraid they're not likely to read that till they get back to Dublin, if
then. I suppose, by the way, the address has arrived all right?"

"It has," said Doyle, "but I haven't it unpacked yet. It's in a case."

"We'd better have it quite ready. Get a screwdriver, will you, and a
hammer."

The address turned out to be very large indeed and most magnificently
coloured. In the top left-hand corner was a small photograph of the
market square of Ballymoy, without the statue. In the right-hand