so he shook up Puddock, and they started anew, and parted just
at the Phoenix, shaking hands heartily, like two men who had just done
a good stroke of business together.

CHAPTER XX.

IN WHICH MR. DANGERFIELD VISITS THE CHURCH OF CHAPELIZOD, AND ZEKIEL
IRONS GOES A FISHING.

Early next morning Lord Castlemallard, Dangerfield, and Nutter, rode
into Chapelizod, plaguy dusty, having already made the circuit of that
portion of his property which lay west of the town. They had poked into
the new mills and the old mills, and contemplated the quarries, and
lime-kilns, and talked with Doyle about his holding, and walked over the
two vacant farms, and I know not all besides. And away trotted his
lordship to his breakfast in town. And Dangerfield seeing the church
door open, dismounted and walked in, and Nutter did likewise.

Bob Martin was up in the gallery, I suppose, doing some good, and making
a considerable knocking here and there in the pews, and walking slowly
with creaking shoes. Zekiel Irons, the clerk, was down below about his
business, at the communion table at the far end, lean, blue-chinned,
thin-lipped, stooping over his quarto prayer books, and gliding about
without noise, reverent and sinister. When they came in, Nutter led the
way to Lord Castlemallard's pew, which brought them up pretty near to
the spot where grave Mr. Irons was prowling serenely. The pew would soon
want new flooring, Mr. Dangerfield thought, and the Castlemallard arms
and supporters, a rather dingy piece of vainglory, overhanging the main
seat on the wall, would be nothing the worse of a little fresh gilding
and paint.

'There was a claim--eh--to one foot nine inches off the eastern end of
the pew, on the part of--of the family--at Inchicore, I think they call
it,' said Dangerfield, laying his riding-whip like a rule along the top
to help his imagination--'Hey--that would spoil the pew.'

'The claim's settled, and Mr. Langley goes to the other side of the
aisle,' said Nutter, nodding to Irons, who came up, and laid his long
clay-coloured fingers on the top of the pew door, and one long, thin
foot on the first step, and with half-closed eyes, and a half bow, he
awaited their pleasure.

'The Langley family had _this_ pew,' said Dangerfield, with a side nod
to that next his lordship's.

'Yes, Sir,' said Irons, with the same immutable semblance of a smile,
and raising neither his head nor his eyes.

'And who's got it now?'

'Hi