uch have been the results of the Land Law passed in 1881. And under
the curse so engendered the country is now labouring. It cannot be
denied that the promoters of the Land Laws are weak, and that the
disciples of the Landleague are strong. In order that the truth of
this may be seen and made apparent, the present story is told.

CHAPTER XLII.

LORD CASTLEWELL'S FAREWELL.

Poor Mr. O'Mahony had enemies on every side. There had come up lately
a state of things which must be very common in political life. The
hatreds which sound so real when you read the mere words, which look
so true when you see their scornful attitudes, on which for the time
you are inclined to pin your faith so implicitly, amount to nothing.
The Right Honourable A. has to do business with the Honourable B.,
and can best carry it on by loud expressions and strong arguments
such as will be palatable to readers of newspapers; but they do not
hate each other as the readers of the papers hate them, and are ready
enough to come to terms, if coming to terms is required. Each of them
respects the other, though each of them is very careful to hide his
respect. We can fancy that the Right Honourable A. and the Honourable
B. in their moments of confidential intercourse laugh in their joint
sleeves at the antipathies of the public. In the present instance it
was alleged that the Right Honourable A. and the Honourable B. had
come to some truce together, and had ceased for a while to hit each
other hard knocks. Such a truce was supposed to be a feather in the
cap of the Honourable B., as he was leader of a poor party of no
more than twenty; and the Right Honourable A. had in this matter the
whole House at his back. But for the nonce each had come off his high
horse, and for the moment there was peace between them.

But Mr. O'Mahony would have no peace. He understood nothing of
compromises. He really believed that the Right Honourable gentleman
was the fiend which the others had only called him. To him it was a
compact with the very devil. Now the leader of his party, knowing
better what he was about, and understanding somewhat of the manner in
which politics are at present carried on, felt himself embarrassed by
the honesty of such a follower as Mr. O'Mahony. Mr. O'Mahony, when he
was asked whether he wished to lead or was willing to serve, declared
that he would neither lead nor serve. What he wanted was the "good
of Ireland." And he was sure that that