e
king is Lord Lieutenant. It's a simple question of patriotism. Does
patriotism mean nothing to you?

O'FLAHERTY. It means different to me than what it would to you, sir. It
means England and England's king to you. To me and the like of me, it
means talking about the English just the way the English papers talk
about the Boshes. And what good has it ever done here in Ireland? It's
kept me ignorant because it filled up my mother's mind, and she thought
it ought to fill up mine too. It's kept Ireland poor, because instead
of trying to better ourselves we thought we was the fine fellows of
patriots when we were speaking evil of Englishmen that was as poor as
ourselves and maybe as good as ourselves. The Boshes I kilt was more
knowledgable men than me; and what better am I now that I've kilt them?
What better is anybody?

SIR PEARCE [huffed, turning a cold shoulder to him]. I am sorry the
terrible experience of this war--the greatest war ever fought--has
taught you no better, O'Flaherty.

O'FLAHERTY [preserving his dignity]. I don't know about it's being a
great war, sir. It's a big war; but that's not the same thing. Father
Quinlan's new church is a big church: you might take the little old
chapel out of the middle of it and not miss it. But my mother says there
was more true religion in the old chapel. And the war has taught me that
maybe she was right.

SIR PEARCE [grunts sulkily]!!

O'FLAHERTY [respectfully but doggedly]. And there's another thing it's
taught me too, sir, that concerns you and me, if I may make bold to tell
it to you.

SIR PEARCE [still sulky]. I hope it's nothing you oughtn't to say to me,
O'Flaherty.

O'FLAHERTY. It's this, sir: that I'm able to sit here now and talk to
you without humbugging you; and that's what not one of your tenants or
your tenants' childer ever did to you before in all your long life. It's
a true respect I'm showing you at last, sir. Maybe you'd rather have me
humbug you and tell you lies as I used, just as the boys here, God help
them, would rather have me tell them how I fought the Kaiser, that all
the world knows I never saw in my life, than tell them the truth. But
I can't take advantage of you the way I used, not even if I seem to be
wanting in respect to you and cocked up by winning the Cross.

SIR PEARCE [touched]. Not at all, O'Flaherty. Not at all.

O'FLAHERTY. Sure what's the Cross to me, barring the little pension it
carries? Do you think I don't know that