serted by her escort, dropped the bouquet and
fled. Sergeant Colgan picked it up and laid it solemnly at the foot of
the statue. Young Kerrigan, stimulated by the cheers, worked the band up
to a fortissimo performance of his tune.

Dr. O'Grady held his hat in his hand. He signalled frantically to Father
McCormack. He took off his hat, whispering to Major Kent as he did so.
The Major, who was utterly bewildered, and not at all sure what was
happening, took off his hat. Several other bystanders, supposing that it
must be right to stand bare-headed before a newly unveiled statue, took
off theirs: Lord Alfred Blakeney looked round him doubtfully. Most of
the people near him had their hats in their hands. He took off his.

The unusually loud noise made by the band reached Thady Gallagher in the
bar of the hotel. He stopped abruptly in the middle of a speech which he
was making to Mr. Billing. After a moment's hesitation he rushed to the
door of the hotel. The sight of the people, standing bare-headed and
silent while the band played, convinced him that Dr. O'Grady was in the
act of perpetrating a treacherous trick upon the sincerely patriotic but
unsuspecting inhabitants of Ballymoy. Standing at the door of the hotel
he shouted and waved his arms. Mr. Billing stood behind him looking on
with an expression of serious interest. Nobody could hear what Gallagher
said. But Father McCormack and Doyle, fearing that he would succeed in
making himself audible, hurried towards him. Doyle seized him by the
arm, Gallagher shook him off angrily.

"It shall never be said," he shouted, "that I stood silent while
an insult was heaped upon Ballymoy and the cause of Nationalism in
Ireland."

"Whisht, now whisht," said Father McCormack. "Sure there's nothing to be
angry about."

"There is what would make any man angry, any man that has the welfare of
Ireland at heart. That tune----"

"It isn't that tune at all," said Father McCormack. "It's another one
altogether."

"It's not another," said Gallagher, "but it's the one I mean. Didn't
Constable Moriarty say it was?"

"Oughtn't you to listen to his reverence," said Doyle, "more than
to Moriarty? But if you won't do that, can't you hear the tune for
yourself?"

"I can hear it; and what's more I can see the Major with his hat off and
the young fellow that's down from Dublin Castle with his hat off, and
the doctor----"

"It's my belief, Thady," said Doyle, "that you're three parts drun