est a dollar in them.
They had spent their spare ducats in attempting what required a bank to
maintain. They had endured the ridicule of the hard-hearted and the
silent pity of the friends who believed them foolish dreamers. And
behold a man of money appears to endow their enterprise, and to show his
faith in it by shipping as a common member of the expedition. Was there
ever such luck? They thanked him brokenly, and looked at him with eyes
so full of tenderness and admiration and confidence, that Arthur swore
to himself he would hereafter go about the earth, hunting up just such
tender creatures, and providing the money to make their beautiful,
heroic, and foolish dreams come true. He began to feel the truth of a
philosopher's saying: the dreams of the innocent are the last reasoning
of sages.

"And to this joy is added another," said Ledwith, when he could speak
steadily. "General Sheridan has promised to lead a Fenian army the
moment the Irish government can show it in the field."

"What does that mean?" said Arthur.

"What does it mean that an Irish army on Irish soil should have for its
leader a brilliant general like Sheridan?" cried Ledwith. A new emotion
overpowered him. His eyes filled with tears. "It means victory for a
forlorn cause. Napoleon himself never led more devoted troops than will
follow that hero to battle. Washington never received such love and
veneration as he will from the poor Irish, sick with longing for a true
leader. Oh, God grant the day may come, and that we may see it, when
that man will lead us to victory."

His eyes flashed fire. He saw that far-off future, the war with its
glories, the final triumph, the crowning of Sheridan with everlasting
fame. And then without warning he suddenly fell over into a chair.
Arthur lifted up his head in a fright, and saw a pallid face and
lusterless eyes. Honora bathed his temples, with the coolness and
patience of habit.

"It is nothing, nothing," he said feebly after a moment. "Only the
foolishness of it all ... I can forget like a boy ... the thing will
never come to pass ... never, never, never! There stands the hero,
splendid with success, rich in experience, eager, willing, a demigod
whom the Irish could worship ... his word would destroy faction, wipe
out treason, weed out fools, hold the clans in solid union ... if we
could give him an army, back him with a government, provide him with
money! We shall never have the army ... nothing. Treas