ir play, that sense of justice
so peculiarly British, of which we have all heard in the school-books,
would----"

"Drop it," said Lord Constantine fiercely. "In war there's nothing but
the brute left. The Fenians--may the plague take them ... will be hung,
shipped to Botany Bay, and left to rot in the home prisons, without
respect to law, privilege, decency. Rebels must be wiped out,
doncheknow. I don't mind that. They've done me enough harm ... put back
the alliance ten years at least ... and left me howling in the
wilderness. Livingstone will let every Fenian of American citizenship be
tried like his British mates ... that is, they will get no trial at all,
except inform. They will not benefit by their American ties."

"Why should he neglect them like that?"

"He has theories, of course. I heard him spout them at some beastly
reception somewhere. Too many Irish in America--too strong--too
popish--must be kept down--alliance between England and the United
States to keep them down----"

"I remember he was one of your alliance men," provokingly.

"Alas, yes," mourned his lordship. "The Fenians threatened to make
mince-meat of it, but they're done up and knocked down. Now, this
Livingstone proposes a new form of mincing, worse than the Fenians a
thousand times, begad."

"Begad," murmured Arthur. "Surely you're getting excited."

"The alliance is now to be argued on the plea of defense against popish
aggressions, Arthur. This is the unkind cut. Before, we had to reunite
the Irish and the English. Now, we must soothe the prejudices of bigots
besides. Oh, but you should see the programme of His Excellency for the
alliance in his mind. You'll feel it when you get back home. A regular
programme, doncheknow. The first number has the boards now: general
indignation of the hired press at the criminal recklessness of the Irish
in rebelling against our benign rule. When that chorus is ended, there
comes a solo by an escaped nun. Did you ever hear of Sister Claire
Thingamy----"

"Saw her--know her--at a distance. What is she to sing?"

"A book--confessions and all that thing--revelations of the horrors of
papist life. It's to be printed by thousands and scattered over the
world. After that Fritters, our home historian at Oxford, is to travel
in your county and lecture to the cream of society on the beauty of
British rule over the Irish. He is to affect the classes. The nun and
the press are to affect the masses. Between t