od by stealth and blushing to find it known. But a
public subscription can't be kept secret. Sooner or later the list of
subscribers will have to be published. Doyle," he looked round as he
spoke and saw Doyle and Gallagher standing near him. "Doyle has promised
another L5. He ought to be giving more, and I daresay he will in the
end. He's a much richer man than the Major, though he doesn't look
it. Gallagher is good for another pound. It doesn't sound much from
a newspaper editor, but it's as much as he can afford. Half
the advertisements in his paper aren't paid for at all. Father
McCormack--he's the parish priest, and we haven't asked him yet, but
he'll put down his name for L10 at least. He always supports every kind
of good work liberally."

"Gentlemen," said Mr. Billing, "you may put me down for five hundred
dollars."

Doyle and Gallagher drew pieces of paper and pencils from their pockets.
They did sums rapidly, Doyle on the back of an old envelope, Gallagher
on a sheet of paper already covered with shorthand notes. Dr. O'Grady
worked his sum in his head. He arrived at his answer first.

"A hundred pounds!" he said. "A generous subscription!"

"It's more than a hundred," said Doyle. "What do you make it, Thady?"

"Counting 4s. 2d. to the dollar," said Gallagher, "it comes to------"

"There's a halfpenny along with that," said Doyle, "as often as not."

"Anyway," said Gallagher, "it won't be less than L104 3s. 4d."

"The Urban District Council," said Doyle, "will take a delight in
passing that vote of thanks to Mr. Billing at its next meeting, and
it'll be a good strong vote, won't it, Thady?"

"As strong as ever any one that was passed about the landlords," said
Gallagher, "only different, of course, mighty different."

"Look here, O'Grady," said Major Kent. "What do you mean by saying
that I'm going to subscribe L5? Who is this General you're all talking
about?"

"Do shut up, Major," said Dr. O'Grady. "Everything's all right if you'll
only keep quiet. As you've got a camera with you, Mr. Billing," he went
on, "you might like to take a photograph of that house opposite you. It
was there that the great General----"

"Glory be to God," said Gallagher, "it's the police barrack!"

"The birthplace of the great General?" said Mr. Billing, taking off his
hat.

"Not exactly," said Dr. O'Grady. "Thady Gallagher will show you his
birthplace this afternoon. This is the house in which he spent his early
yout