your treasurer. As I understand, gentlemen, your doctor has secured
the services of the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland to unveil the statue.
We don't figure much on fancy titles on our side, but I guess it's
different here, and your doctor is a smart man. I may not see that
Lord-Lieutenant, gentlemen, and I may not see the statue. I shall be
researching in the principal libraries of the continent of Europe for
documents bearing on the life of the great general. Whether I am here or
not will depend on the date which that Lord-Lieutenant and your doctor
fix up between them. But I'll be along for the occasion if I can."

The first sentence of Mr. Billing's speech was indecently nude. The
remainder of it was offensively bald. There was once an elderly and
cantankerous farm labourer who complained that he could not hear
the curate when he preached. He was on the next occasion set in the
forefront of the congregation and the curate spoke directly into
his ear. The old man was unable to say that he did not hear, but
he maintained an aggrieved attitude. "I heard him," he complained
afterwards, "but what good was it to me? What I want is to have the
Gospel druv well home to my soul." The feeling of most audiences is very
much the same as his was. Unadorned statements of fact, or what is meant
to be taken as fact, do not satisfy them. They like to have something,
fact or fiction, driven thunderously home into their souls. The only
one of Mr. Billing's hearers who was thoroughly well satisfied with his
speech was Doyle. The statement that five hundred dollars were to
be handed over to him was, in his judgment, of more value than many
resonant periods.

But the Irish courtesy, praised by Father McCor-mack, prevailed against
the general feeling of disappointment. When Mr. Billing ceased speaking
there was a moment of doubtful silence. No one quite realised that he
had really stopped. He had indeed descended from his chair, and, except
for the top of his head, was invisible to most of the audience. But
everyone expected him to get up again and start fresh. It seemed quite
incredible that a public speaker, with an audience ready found for him,
could possibly throw away a valuable opportunity and content himself
with a simple five minutes of plain talk. It was not until Father
McCormack rose from his chair with a sigh and began to make his way
towards his presbytery that the people understood that the meeting was
really at an end. Then t