"Ah! He was always a fool for himself!" replied, heartily, Barty's
great-aunt, Mrs. Cantwell, to whom the comment had been offered.

One aspect of the practical affairs of life, and one only, had power
to rouse Barty from the dreamy passivity which had excited Great-Aunt
Cantwell's contempt. Where Ireland and Irish politics came into
question, some deep spring of sentiment and enthusiasm in him was
touched, and all the force that he was capable of became manifest. All
the strength and tenacity that were in him were concentrated in the
cause of Nationalism; Ireland was his religion, and he felt himself to
be one of her priesthood.

There are some gentle natures, with deep affections, but without much
brain-power in whom an idea, a mental attitude, and especially a
personal liking or disliking, is very easily implanted; yet, easily as
it is introduced, once it has taken hold it can never be dislodged.
The intellect has not energy enough for reconstruction; it accepts too
readily, and, once saturated, the stain is indelible, because there is
no power of growth.

Behold, then, Barty, gentle and obstinate, timid and an enthusiast,
loving, yet implacable, seated in Larry's studio, regarding with
submissive adoration the being compact of the antithesis of his
qualities, and ready, for that being's sake, to make any sacrifice
save that of renouncing him.

The being in question, wholly and feverishly absorbed in his own
affairs of the heart, while bound by his oath to say nothing about
them, brought himself with difficulty to attend to the retrospect of
financial operations, hitherto postponed, but now insisted upon, by
his man of business.

"Oh, first-rate, old chap--quite all right--good business!--" With
these, and similar interjections, did the employer ratify and approve
of his agent's transactions. Barty's legal training abetted his
conscientiousness, and in his mild and monotonous brogue he laid
before Larry a statement of his money matters that was as unsparing in
detail as it was accurate.

"So now you see," he concluded, "I didn't act without careful
consideration, and I consulted me fawther, besides others of
experience in such matters. I believe there are people who are saying
we sold too cheap to the tenants. But, on the other hand, the money's
good and safe now; you have a certain and secure income, and you're in
a very favourable position in the eyes of the people."

Larry pulled himself from reverie to