h, up to the age of eleven years."

"Excuse me," said Mr. Billing. "I'll just get my camera. A view of that
house will be most interesting. I certainly ought to have it for my
biography."

He crossed the road to the hotel and picked up his camera. He carried it
to the middle of the square and set up the tripod legs. Then he screwed
the camera into its place.

"O'Grady," said Major Kent, angrily. "I don't want to make a public
exposure of you before a total stranger, but if you don't stop trying to
make fools of us all------"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Major," said the doctor. "I'm
not making a fool of anyone. I'm helping to persuade Mr. Billing to
erect a statue in this town. You can't deny that a statue would be an
improvement to the place."

"A statue!" said the Major. "Who to?"

"Good Heavens!" said Dr. O'Grady, "haven't you grasped that yet? To
General John Regan."

Mr. Billing had his head under a black cloth. He was screwing the
lens of his camera backwards and forwards and appeared to be entirely
absorbed in his photography.

"Tell me now, doctor," said Doyle, "before we go further into the
matter---- Mind you, I'm not saying a word against what you're doing, but
I'd be glad to know who was General John Regan."

"If I'm to show the American gentleman the birthplace of the General,"
said Gallagher, "I'll need to know where it is. Will you tell me this
now, doctor, where was the General born?"

"I haven't time," said Dr. O'Grady, "to give you all elementary lectures
on modern history; and I certainly haven't the temper to spend all day
hammering into your heads simple facts which----"

"Facts!" said the Major.

"Go home, Major," said Dr. O'Grady. "You've no tact, and in an affair of
this kind where the highest kind of diplomacy is necessary, you're not
only useless, you're actually dangerous. Now, Doyle, do you or do you
not want to have the handling of that American gentleman's L100? You do,
of course. Very well then. Leave the matter in my hands and don't annoy
me by asking frivolous questions. Thady, the birthplace of the General
is one of those ruined cottages--it doesn't in the least matter which--on
the grass farm where Doyle has his cattle ever since you and your League
prevented anyone else taking the place. You ought to have known that
without bothering me. Good Heavens! Here's the police sergeant coming to
ask questions now."

Sergeant Colgan and Constable Moriarty were app