“My dear Mrs. Stackpoole, I know how the people
walk in London quite as well as you do.”
Lady Blood had once passed three months in London
while Sir Patrick had been alive, whereas Mrs. Stackpoole
had never done more than visit the metropolis for
a day or two.
“Oh, no doubt,” said Mrs. Stackpoole;
“but I never can understand what it is that
people expect. I suppose Mr. Monk ought to have
come with his stars on the breast of his coat, to have
pleased Lady Blood.”
“My dear Mrs. Stackpoole, Cabinet Ministers
don’t have stars,” said Lady Blood.
“I never said they did,” said Mrs. Stackpoole.
“He is so nice and gentle to talk to,”
said Mrs. Finn. “You may say what you will,
but men who are high up do very often give themselves
airs. Now I must say that this friend of my son’s
does not do anything of that kind.”
“Not the least,” said Mrs. Callaghan.
“Quite the contrary,” said Mrs. Stackpoole.
“I dare say he is a wonderful man,” said
Lady Blood. “All I say is, that I didn’t
hear anything wonderful come out of his mouth; and
as for people in Ennis walking on two legs, I have
seen donkeys in Limerick doing just the same thing.”
Now it was well known that Mrs. Stackpoole had two
sons living in Limerick, as to neither of whom was
it expected that he would set the Shannon on fire.
After this little speech there was no further mention
of Mr. Monk, as it became necessary that all the good-nature
of Mrs. Finn and all the tact of Mrs. Flood Jones
and all the energy of Mrs. Callaghan should be used,
to prevent the raging of an internecine battle between
Mrs. Stackpoole and Lady Blood.
Victrix
Mr. Monk’s holiday programme allowed him a week
at Killaloe, and from thence he was to go to Limerick,
and from Limerick to Dublin, in order that, at both
places, he might be entertained at a public dinner
and make a speech about tenant-right. Foreseeing
that Phineas might commit himself if he attended these
meetings, Mr. Monk had counselled him to remain at
Killaloe. But Phineas had refused to subject
himself to such cautious abstinence. Mr. Monk
had come to Ireland as his friend, and he would see
him through his travels. “I shall not,
probably, be asked to speak,” said Phineas, “and
if I am asked, I need not say more than a few words.
And what if I did speak out?”
“You might find it disadvantageous to you in
London.”
“I must take my chance of that. I am not
going to tie myself down for ever and ever for the
sake of being Under-Secretary to the Colonies.”
Mr. Monk said very much to him on the subject,—was
constantly saying very much to him about it; but in
spite of all that Mr. Monk said, Phineas did make
the journey to Limerick and Dublin.
