Dublin
doctors and the smaller landed gentry."

"But about his salary," said Clithering. "Is that to be an Imperial
charge, or are you--?"

"I forgot to ask about that," I said, "but if there's any difficulty I
expect Conroy will agree to pay it. It's not much, is it?"

"I'm not sure of the exact figure; but I know it's never supposed to
be enough."

"I've no actual authority for saying so," I said, "but I expect we'll
want to do the thing decently if we do it at all. Cahoon has the mind
of a statesman, and in his opinion something will have to be done to
soothe the Dublin public. A first-rate Viceregal establishment was his
idea. However, we needn't go into details. The main thing is that we
want a Lord Lieutenant. If your Government undertakes to supply
suitable men from time to time I think I may promise that we'll find
the money. Write that down, Godfrey."

"When you speak of the English clearing out of Ireland," said
Clithering, "and leaving you the country to yourselves, you don't of
course mean absolute fiscal independence."

"We do," I said.

"You can't mean that," said Clithering. "It's costing us nearly two
millions a year to run the country, and if that's withdrawn you will
go bankrupt."

"What McNeice said," I replied, "was that you were to clear out, bag,
baggage, soldiers, police, tax-collectors, and the whole--"

"Tax-collectors!" said Clithering. "I'm not sure--"

"Didn't your Prime Minister say he'd be glad to get rid of us? What's
the use of your arguing on about every little point?"

"But," said Clithering, "the collection of the revenue! Between
ourselves now, Lord Kilmore, do you think there would be any risk of
your imposing a tariff on--"

"Certain to," I said. "It will be one of the first things we do."

"We can't agree to that," said Clithering. "Free Trade is a principle,
a sacred principle with us. You can't expect--We are a Free Trade
Government. Our consciences--"

"Very well," I said. "Go on with the war. Bombard Belfast. Kill
another woman. Smash the Albert Memorial with a shell."

"Our consciences--" said Clithering.

"Your consciences," I said, "will have to let you do one thing or the
other."

"Now take my own case," said Clithering. "I am interested, deeply
interested, in hosiery. We do a big business in stockings."

Godfrey winced. I do not wonder. The future Lady Kilmore must, of
course, wear stockings, but it is not pleasant for Godfrey to think of
her supp