Supposing the Ulster Volunteers attack us!..."

"They won't," Mr. Quinn snapped at him.

"But supposing they do, are we to sit down and let them do it? I tell
you we daren't trust to the English. They'll promise everything and give
nothing. That's the nature of them. They're a treacherous race!..."

"I wish to my God you had some sense, John Marsh," said Mr. Quinn.

"Oh, I know you think I'm a madman, but you can't deny facts, and the
facts are that the English have systematically betrayed the Irish
throughout their history. If there's a war on, they go down on their
hands and knees and ask us to win it for them ... they offer us the sun
and the moon and the stars for our help ... but the minute they've got
over their fright, they start plotting to get out of their promises.
They've done it before and they'll do it again. I want our Volunteers to
be more than a defensive organisation. I want them to be an offensive
organisation. If we don't look out very sharply well find that the
English have ruined Ireland again. They've started to do it openly now.
You've heard, haven't you, about the Cunard Line and Queenstown?..." It
appeared that the Cunard Line had abandoned Queenstown as a port of call
for American liners.... That means absolute ruin for Queenstown!...
Casement tried to get the Hamburg-Amerika line to send their boats
instead, and they'd agreed to do so ... all the preparations were made
to welcome the first of their boats ... and then the scheme was
abandoned by the Germans. The English Foreign office got at them!... "Oh,
of course, it's only Ireland, and Irish people and Irish interests can
be neglected and ruined without a blush so long as the English interests
are safe.... More and more I'm convinced that we've got to separate from
them. They're a common-minded people. You know they are! They're
hucksters ... they think in ... in ha'porths!..."

6

The attempt to bring John Marsh to reason was a failure, and he went
back to Dublin more resolved to make the Volunteers an offensive body
than he had been when he arrived. He had seen a review of the Ulster
Volunteer Force in Belfast and the setness of the men impressed him.
"They'll fight all right," he said. "I don't suppose their leaders have
any stomach for fighting, but the men have plenty. By God, I wish they
were on our side!"

"Well, why don't you try to get them on your side!" Henry demanded.
"Your notion of conciliating them is to start gettin