except in name, I can
scarcely consider you as belonging to it.

"Why, sir," replied John, "I trust I am a firm, but not a bigoted
Catholic."

"Roman Catholic, John, always say, if you plaise; we claim to be the
true Catholics you know; and for that raison it is better always to
avoid confusion."

"As to that, we shall not quarrel about it, I trust," replied Purcel;
"but with respect to another point, there is only one opinion, Mr.
O'Driscol, and that is, that you are a most resolute and determined
man."

"Magistrate you mane, I think, John; so magistrate, if you plaise--ha!
ha!' ha! By the way will you touch the bell? Thank you."

"I beg your pardon," proceeded Purcel, having touched the bell, "I
should have said magistrate: because it very often happens that
whilst the man is a coward, the magistrate is as brave as the Duke of
Wellington."

"Upon my honor and conscience, there may be some truth in that," said
O'Driscol, nodding, but at the same time not exactly appropriating the
category to himself; "but how do you make that appear, John?"

"Why," replied Purcel, who, between ourselves, was a bit of a wag in his
way, "it proceeds from the spirit of his office. Take a magistrate, for
instance, as a man--a mere man; place him in the ordinary situations of
society; let him ride home at night, for instance, through a disturbed
district like this, which, if he is wise, he will avoid doing, or let
him be seen in an isolated position even in daylight without protection,
and you will find him a coward of the first shaking. On the contrary,
place him, as a magistrate, at the head of a body of police or military,
and where will you witness such courage? That, then, is the individual,
I say, who being naturally a coward as a man, goes through his duty
with courage as a magistrate; I say this is the individual whom the
government should reward with especial favor."

"By the way, will you touch that bell again?--oh, here he comes. Sam,"
he said, addressing a servant, "get me up a bottle of soda-wather. Will
you have a glass of soda, John? I dipped a little too deep last night."

"No, sir, thank you," replied Purcel, "I was moderate last night; and at
all events soda is rather cold for such a day as this is."

"Well, then can't you stiffen it with a little brandy?"

"No, thank you, I won't touch anything at present. I almost wish, as
I was saying," he proceeded, "that there was the slightest touch of
cowardice in you,