I am, boys--_the same I ever was_."

Loud huzzas and "Long life to you!" answered the last pithy words, which
were sore ones to O'Grady, who, as a renegade, felt the hit.

"Fellow-countrymen, I come forward to represent you, and, however I may
be unequal to _that_ task, at least I will never _mis_represent you."

Another cheer followed.

"My past life is evidence enough on _that_ point; God forbid I were of
the mongrel breed of Irishmen who speak ill of their own country. I
never did it, boys, and I never will! Some think they get on by it, and
so they do, indeed;--they get on as sweeps and shoe-blacks get on--they
drive a dirty trade and find employment;--but are they respected?"

Shouts of "No!--no!"

"You're right!--No!--they are not respected--even by their very
employers. Your political sweep and shoe-black is no more respected than
he who cleans our chimneys or cleans our shoes. The honourable gentleman
who has addressed you last confesses he is a stranger amongst you; and
is _he_, a stranger, to be your representative? You may be civil to a
stranger--it is a pleasing duty,--but he is not the man to whom you
would give your confidence. You might share a hearty glass with a
stranger, but you would not enter into a joint lease of a farm without
knowing a little more of him; and if you would not trust a single farm
with a stranger, will you give a whole county into his hands? When a
stranger comes to these parts, I'm sure he'll get a civil answer from
every man I see here,--he will get a civil 'yes' or a civil 'no' to his
questions; and if he seeks his way, you will show him his road. As to
the honourable gentleman who has done you the favour to come and ask you
civilly, will you give him the county, you as civilly may answer 'No,'
and _show him his road home again_. ('So we will.') As for the gentleman
who proposed him, he has chosen to make certain strictures upon my
views, and opinions, and conduct. As for views--there was a certain
heathen god the Romans worshipped, called Janus; he was a fellow with
two heads--and by-the-bye, boys, he would have been just the fellow to
live amongst us; for when one of his heads was broken he would have had
the other for use. Well, this Janus was called 'double-face,' and could
see before and behind him. Now, _I'm no double-face_, boys; and as for
seeing before and behind me, I can look back on the past and forward to
the future, and _both_ the roads are _straight ones_. (Ch