ymoy; saw that Ballymoy
House was kept in repair and the grounds in tolerable order; and let
the fishing of the river every year by means of advertisements in
sporting papers. Many men would have found the life dull, but Mr.
Simpkins had a busy and vigorous mind of a sort not uncommon among
incompetent people. By temperament he was a reformer of minor abuses,
and Ballymoy afforded him an almost unique opportunity for the exercise
of his powers. There were, of course, difficulties. The inhabitants
of Ballymoy, long unaccustomed to the presence of a reformer amongst
them, had drifted into quiet, easy ways of living. Mr. Simpkins, who
was not lacking in a certain quality of quiet persistence, troubled
every one with fine impartiality, and became exceedingly unpopular in
Ballymoy. The Resident Magistrate hated being obliged to enforce
unnecessary laws such as that which forbids cyclists to ride on
footpaths, and that which ordains the carrying of lighted lanterns on
carts at night. The postman, at the other end of the official scale,
liked loitering on his rounds, and had adopted a pleasant habit of
handing on letters to any wayfarer who might be supposed to be
proceeding in the direction of the place to which the letters were
addressed. Every one with a public duty of any sort to perform was
stimulated by Mr. Simpkins, and consequently came to hate him.

After a while Mr. Doyle, on whom, as chief citizen, the duty naturally
devolved, got up a petition to Mr. Tempest. The necessity for removing
Mr. Simpkins was presented in the strongest terms. Mr. Tempest, who
was a man of wide experience and kindly heart, sympathised with Mr.
Doyle and the others who signed the petition, but he did not recall Mr.
Simpkins. He knew of no place in Ireland further from Dublin than
Ballymoy is; and it appeared to him above all things desirable to keep
Mr. Simpkins at a distance. It was better, in his opinion, that
Ballymoy should suffer, than that his own house should be haunted on
Sundays and his office disorganised on week-days by Mr. Simpkins. He
acknowledged the receipt of the Ballymoy petition, and promised,
mendaciously, to consider the matter.

Meldon drove into Ballymoy on the first morning of his holiday, and
went straight to Mr. Simpkins' house. He left a card there, and then
walked on to the office. Mr. Simpkins was in the office, and Meldon
greeted him with a warmth which seemed actually affectionate. Mr.
Simpkin