I wish I was going in your place.'

'So do I, with all my heart; but there's ten striking, and we shall be late
for breakfast.'

CHAPTER XXX

THE MOATE STATION

The train by which Miss Betty O'Shea expected her nephew was late in its
arrival at Moate, and Peter Gill, who had been sent with the car to fetch
him over, was busily discussing his second supper when the passengers
arrived.

'Are you Mr. Gorman O'Shea, sir?' asked Peter of a well-dressed and
well-looking young man, who had just taken his luggage from the train.

'No; here he is,' replied he, pointing to a tall, powerful young fellow,
whose tweed suit and billycock hat could not completely conceal a
soldierlike bearing and a sort of compactness that comes of 'drill.'

'That's my name. What do you want with me?' cried he, in a loud but
pleasant voice.

'Only that Miss Betty has sent me over with the car for your honour, if
it's plazing to you to drive across.'

'What about this broiled bone, Miller?' asked O'Shea. 'I rather think I
like the notion better than when you proposed it.'

'I suspect you do,' said the other; 'but we'll have to step over to the
"Blue Goat." It's only a few yards off, and they'll be ready, for I
telegraphed them from town to be prepared as the train came in.'

'You seem to know the place well.'

'Yes. I may say I know something about it. I canvassed this part of the
county once for one of the Idlers, and I secretly determined, if I ever
thought of trying for a seat in the House, I'd make the attempt here. They
are a most pretentious set of beggars these small townsfolk, and they'd
rather hear themselves talk politics, and give their notions of what they
think "good for Ireland," than actually pocket bank-notes; and that,
my dear friend, is a virtue in a constituency never to be ignored or
forgotten. The moment, then, I heard of M----'s retirement, I sent off a
confidential emissary down here to get up what is called a requisition,
asking me to stand for the county. Here it is, and the answer, in this
morning's _Freeman_. You can read it at your leisure. Here we are now at
the "Blue Goat"; and I see they are expecting us.'

Not only was there a capital fire in the grate, and the table ready laid
for supper, but a half-dozen or more of the notabilities of Moate were in
waiting to receive the new candidate, and confer with him over the coming
contest.

'My companion is the nephew of an old neighbour of yours, gentle