to
be said. The girl's a decent girl, and I wouldn't stand in the way of
her bettering herself."

"She'll be the better by a new dress, anyway!" said the Major. "I don't
know that she'll benefit in any other way. But that's something."

"I rather think," said Dr. O'Grady, "that I hear Doyle downstairs. We'll
be able to get on with the business of the committee now, whether he has
Thady with him or not. We've wasted time enough."

"We'll waste a lot more before we've done," said the Major. "The whole
thing's waste of time. There'll never be a statue in Ballymoy either to
General John Regan or to anyone else."

Dr. O'Grady had drawn a bundle of papers from his pocket and laid them
on the table before him.

"Our first business, gentlemen," he said, "is to settle about the
illuminated address which Mrs. Ford has kindly consented to present to
the Lord-Lieutenant."

Thady Gallagher glared at Dr. O'Grady savagely. He did not like being
interrupted in the middle of a speech.

"Order, gentlemen, order," said Father McCor-mack, nervously tapping the
table with his pencil.

"With regard to the illuminated address," said Doyle, "I'm of opinion
that the carrying out of it should be given into the hands of a Dublin
firm. It's our duty to support Irish manufacture. There's too much money
sent over to England that might be far better kept at home. You'll agree
with me there, Thady."

"What are you going to say in the address?" said the Major.

"Oh, the usual things," said Dr. O'Grady. "I don't think we need go into
that in detail. All addresses are pretty much the same."

"I won't sign my name to anything political," said the Major.

"I'm with you there," said Father McCormack. "It's one of the curses of
this country the way politics are dragged into business."

"Nobody wants politics," said Dr. O'Grady. "The address will contain
nothing but nice little compliments to the Lord-Lieutenant with a word
or two about the value of piers put in at the end."

"If the matter's left in the hands of the firm I have in mind," said
Doyle, "it'll be done right. They've illuminated three-quarters of the
addresses that have been presented in the country, and whether it's a
bank manager or a priest going on a new mission, or a Lord-Lieutenant
that the address is for, the firm I mean will know what to put into it.
They've had the experience, and experience is what is wanted."

"We'll give him names and dates," said Dr. O'Grady, "and