se
hot-headed fellows have never room in their foolish brains for anything
like consecutive thought; they can just entertain the one idea, and till
they dismiss that, they cannot admit another. Now, he'll come back by the
next train, and bring me the answer to one of my queries, if even that?'
sighed he, as he went on with his dressing.

'All this blessed business,' muttered he to himself, 'comes of this
blundering interference with the land-laws. Paddy hears that they have
given him some new rights and privileges, and no mock-modesty of his own
will let him lose any of them, and so he claims everything. Old experience
had taught him that with a bold heart and a blunderbuss he need not pay
much rent; but Mr. Gladstone--long life to him--had said, "We must do
something for you." Now what could that be? He'd scarcely go so far as to
give them out Minie rifles or Chassepots, though arms of precision, as they
call them, would have put many a poor fellow out of pain--as Bob Magrath
said when he limped into the public-house with a ball in his back--"It's
only a 'healing measure,' don't make a fuss about it."'

'Mr. Flood wants to see your honour when you're dressed,' said the waiter,
interrupting his soliloquy.

'Where is he?'

'Walking up and down, sir, forenent the door.'

'Will ye say I'm coming down? I'm just finishing a letter to the
Lord-Lieutenant,' said Kilgobbin, with a sly look to the man, who returned
the glance with its rival, and then left the room.

'Will you not come in and sit down?' said Kearney, as he cordially shook
Flood's hand.

'I have only five minutes to stay, and with your leave, Mr. Kearney, we'll
pass it here'; and taking the other's arm, he proceeded to walk up and down
before the door of the inn.

'You know Ireland well--few men better, I am told--and you have no need,
therefore, to be told how the rumoured dislikes of party, the reported
jealousies and rancours of this set to that, influence the world here.
It will be a fine thing, therefore, to show these people here that the
Liberal, Mr. Kearney, and that bigoted old Tory, Tom Flood, were to be seen
walking together, and in close confab. It will show them, at all events,
that neither of us wants to make party capital out of this scrimmage, and
that he who wants to affront one of us, cannot, on that ground, at least,
count upon the other. Just look at the crowd that is watching us already!
There 'a a fellow neglecting the sale of his pi