ndeavouring to pass on to something else.

'May I ask against what I am supposed to be so secure?'

'Oh, nothing, nothing. A very small impertinence, but which Mr. Atlee found
irresistible.'

'Pray let me hear it. It shall not irritate me.'

'He says, "There will be no more a fear of bribery in your case than of a
debauch at Father Mathew's."'

'He is right there,' said Kearney. 'The only difference is that our
forbearance will be founded on something stronger than a pledge.'

Walpole looked at the speaker, and was evidently struck by the calm command
he had displayed of his passion.

'If we could forget Joe Atlee for a few minutes, Mr. Walpole, we might
possibly gain something. I, at least, would be glad to know how far I might
count on the Government aid in my project.'

'Ah, you want to--in fact, you would like that we should give you something
like a regular--eh?--that is to say, that you could declare to certain
people--naturally enough, I admit; but here is how we are, Kearney.
Of course what I say now is literally between ourselves, and strictly
confidential.'

'I shall so understand it,' said the other gravely.

'Well, now, here it is. The Irish vote, as the Yankees would call it, is of
undoubted value to us, but it is confoundedly dear! With Cardinal Cullen on
one side and Fenianism on the other, we have no peace. Time was when you
all pulled the one way, and a sop to the Pope pleased you all. Now that
will suffice no longer. The "Sovereign Pontiff dodge" is the surest of all
ways to offend the Nationals; so that, in reality, what we want in the
House is a number of Liberal Irishmen who will trust the Government to do
as much for the Catholic Church as English bigotry will permit, and as much
for the Irish peasant as will not endanger the rights of property over the
Channel.'

'There's a wide field there, certainly,' said Dick, smiling.

'Is there not?' cried the other exultingly. 'Not only does it bowl over the
Established Church and Protestant ascendency, but it inverts the position
of landlord and tenant. To unsettle everything in Ireland, so that anybody
might hope to be anything, or to own Heaven knows what--to legalise
gambling for existence to a people who delight in high play, and yet not
involve us in a civil war--was a grand policy, Kearney, a very grand
policy. Not that I expect a young, ardent spirit like yourself, fresh from
college ambitions and high-flown hopes, will take this view.'