On either side of the white tablecloth their dirty hands fumbled at
their shirt-studs, that constantly threatened to fall through the worn
buttonholes. They were, nevertheless, received everywhere, and Pathre,
as Mr. Ryan was called by his friends, was permitted the licences that
are usually granted to the buffoon.

'Arrah!' he said, 'I wouldn't moind the lague being hard on them who
lives out of the counthry, spendin' their cash on liquor and theatres in
London; but what can they have agin us who stops at home, mindin' our
properties and riding our harses?'

This criticism of justice, as administered by the league, did not,
however, seem to meet with the entire approval of those present. Mr.
Adair looked grave; he evidently thought it was based on a superficial
notion of political economy. Mr. Burke, a very young man with a tiny red
moustache and a curious habit of wriggling his long weak neck, feeling
his amusements were being unfairly attacked, broke the silence he had
till then preserved, and said:

'I haven't an acre of land in the world, but if my brother chooses to
live in London, I don't see why he should be deprived of his rents. For
my part, I like the Gaiety Theatre, and so does my brother. Have you
seen the _Forty Thieves_, Lady Jane? Capital piece--I saw it twenty
times.'

'I think what Pathre, me cousin, means to say,' said Mr. Lynch,
declining the venison the servant offered him, 'is that there are many
in the country who don't deserve much consideration. I am alluding to
those who acquired their property in the land courts, and the
Cromwellians, and the--I mean the rack-renters.'

The sudden remembrance that Lord Dungory dated from the time of James so
upset Mr. Lynch that he called back the servant and accepted the
venison, which he failed, however, to eat.

'I do not see,' said Lord Dungory, with the air of a man whose words are
conclusive, 'why we should go back to the time of Cromwell to discuss
the rights of property rather than to that of the early Kings of
Ireland. If there is to be a returning, why not at once put in a claim
on the part of the Irish Elk? No! there must be some finality in human
affairs.' And on this phrase the conversation came to a pause.

But if the opinions of those present were not in accord concerning the
rights of property, their tastes in conversation certainly differed as
widely. Olive's white face twitched from time to time with nervous
annoyance. Alice looked up