“Oh! as for me, I’m the devil.  I’ve a tail, only I don’t wear it, except on state occasions; and I’ve horns and hoofs, only people can’t see them.  But I don’t see why Morris should not succeed:  he’s the only one of the four that doesn’t own a racehorse, and that’s much in his favour.  What do you say, Morris?”

“I’d have no objection,” said the member; “except that I wouldn’t like to stand in Lord Ballindine’s way.”

“Oh! he’s the soul of good-nature.  You wouldn’t take it ill of him, would you, Frank?”

“Not the least,” said Frank, sulkily; for he didn’t like the conversation, and he didn’t know how to put a stop to it.

“Perhaps you wouldn’t mind giving him a line of introduction to Lord Cashel,” said Mat.

“But, Morris,” said Blake, “I’m afraid your politics would go against you.  A Repealer would never go down at Grey Abbey.”

“Morris’ll never let his politics harm him,” said Tierney.  “Repeal’s a very good thing the other side of the Shannon; or one might, carry it as far as Conciliation Hall, if one was hard pressed, and near an election.  Were you ever in Conciliation Hall yet, Morris?”

“No, Mat; but I’m going next Thursday.  Will you go with me?”

“Faith, I will not:  but I think you should go; you ought to do something for your country, for you’re a patriot.  I never was a public man.”

“Well, when I can do any good for my country, I’ll go there.  Talking of that, I saw O’Connell in town yesterday, and I never saw him looking so well.  The verdict hasn’t disturbed him much.  I wonder what steps the Government will take now?  They must be fairly bothered.  I don’t think they dare imprison him.”

“Not dare!” said Blake—­’and why not?  When they had courage to indict him, you need not fear but what they’ll dare to go on with a strong hand, now they have a verdict.”

“I’ll tell you what, Dot; if they imprison the whole set,” said Mat, “and keep them in prison for twelve months, every Catholic in Ireland will be a Repealer by the end of that time.”

“And why shouldn’t they all be Repealers?” said Morris.  “It seems to me that it’s just as natural for us to be Repealers, as it is for you to be the contrary.”

“I won’t say they don’t dare to put them in prison,” continued Mat; “but I will say they’ll be great fools to do it.  The Government have so good an excuse for not doing so:  they have such an easy path out of the hobble.  There was just enough difference of opinion among the judges—­just enough irregularity in the trial, such as the omissions of the names from the long panel—­to enable them to pardon the whole set with a good grace.”

“If they did,” said Blake, “the whole high Tory party in this country—­peers and parsons—­would be furious.  They’d lose one set of supporters, and wouldn’t gain another.  My opinion is, they’ll lock the whole party up in the stone jug—­for some time, at least.”