e let her bicycle fall at the feet of Father McCormack, and
ran to the Major.

"Oh," she said. "Oh! my husband--just told me--a telegram--isn't it
frightful? What are we to do?"

"I'm rather glad myself," said the Major, "but everybody else is making
a fuss."

Doyle, Father McCormack and Gallagher followed Mrs. Gregg. Father
McCormack, who was a chivalrous man even when agitated, picked up her
bicycle and brought it with him.

"Is it true, ma'am," said Doyle, "what we're after hearing?"

"It's quite true," said Mrs. Gregg. "My husband had a telegram. So had
Mr. Ford. And Mrs. Ford is so pleased. Oh, it's too much! But where's
Dr. O'Grady?"

"Everybody is asking that," said the Major. "My own impression is that
he's bolted."

"If only Dr. O'Grady were here," said Mrs. Gregg, "he might do
something."

"There's one thing the doctor won't do," said Gallagher,
"Lord-Lieutenant or no Lord-Lieutenant, he'll not have the town band
playing the tune that he's after teaching young Kerrigan."

"Doyle," said Major Kent, "do you think you could get Thady Gallagher
out of this? He's becoming a nuisance. Nobody's temper will stand a Home
Rule speech at the present moment."

"Thady," said Doyle, persuasively, "a drop of something to drink is
what will suit you. The inside of your throat is dried up the same as if
you'd been eating lime on account of the rage that's in you."

Doyle was himself no less perplexed than everyone else. He was more
acutely sensitive than anyone to the danger of financial disaster. But
he was a man of cool judgment even in a crisis. He saw that Gallagher's
presence was highly inconvenient.

"A bottle of porter, Thady," he said, "or maybe two, would do you good."

Gallagher made a strong effort to swallow, intending when he had done
so to speak again. But the description Doyle gave of the inside of his
throat and the thought of cool draughts of porter, had actually induced
a very real dryness of his mouth. He turned doubtfully towards the
hotel, walked a few steps and then stood still again.

Doyle caught a glimpse, through a momentary opening in the crowd, of Dr.
O'Grady, shaved, and very carefully dressed in a new grey tweed suit. He
became more than ever anxious to get Gallagher into the hotel.

"If you fancy a glass of whisky, Thady," he said, "it's in there for you
and welcome. There'll be no tunes played here for the next half hour,
anyway, so you needn't be afraid to go."

He took Gal