was of course the proper
man."

"And who else came?"

"There was O'Leary, from Boherbue."

"He was another Papist?"

"Oh, yes; there was a majority of them. There was Greilly, the man
who has got that large take of land over beyond Banteer; and then
Father Barney's coadjutor came in."

"What! that wretched-looking man from Gortnaclough?"

"Yes; he's the curate of the parish, you know."

"And did you shake hands with him too?"

"Indeed I did; and you never saw a fellow look so ashamed of himself
in your life."

"Well, there isn't much shame about them generally."

"And there wasn't much about him by-and-by. You never heard a man
talk such trash in your life, till Somers put him down."

"Oh, he was put down? I'm glad of that."

"And to do Father Barney justice, he did tell him to hold his tongue.
The fool began to make a regular set speech."

"Father Barney, I suppose, didn't choose that anybody should do that
but himself."

"He did enough for the two, certainly. I never heard a man so fond of
his own voice. What he wants is to rule it all just his own way."

"Of course he does; and that's just what you won't let him do. What
other reason can there be for your going there?"

And so the matter was discussed. What absolute steps were taken
by the committee; how they agreed to buy so much meal of such a
merchant, at such a price, and with such funds; how it was to be
resold, and never given away on any pretext; how Mr. Somers had
explained that giving away their means was killing the goose that
laid the golden eggs, when the young priest, in an attitude for
oratory, declared that the poor had no money with which to make the
purchase; and how in a few weeks' time they would be able to grind
their own flour at Herbert Fitzgerald's mill;--all this was also
told. But the telling did not give so much gratification to Mrs.
Townsend as the sly hits against the two priests.

And then, while they were still in the middle of all this; when the
punch-jug had given way to the teapot, and the rector was beginning
to bethink himself that a nap in his arm-chair would be very
refreshing, Jerry came into the room to announce that Richard had
come over from Castle Richmond with a note for "his riverence." And
so Richard was shown in.

Now Richard might very well have sent in his note by Jerry, which
after all contained only some information with reference to a list
of old women which Herbert Fitzgerald had promised t