General John Regan Part 36

"So there's only Mr. Gallagher's little account," said Father McCormack.

"We'll have a house-to-house collection," said Doyle, "till we get the money raised."

"Don't be a blithering idiot, Doyle," said Dr. O'Grady. "How can you go round and ask people to subscribe to??"

"Gentlemen, gentlemen," said Father McCormack.

"We must fall back upon the subscription list that was published in the Connacht Eagle," said the Major, "as well as I recollect we all promised??"

"n.o.body promised anything," said Doyle. "It was Dr. O'Grady that promised for us and before I pay a penny for a man that owes me more this minute than he can pay??"

"Oh, do shut up, Doyle," said Dr. O'Grady. "What's the good of raking up the past? What we've got to do now is to find a way out of the confounded hole we've been let into through your incompetence and carelessness."

"I'm down for 5," said the Major, "and I'll consider that I'm very well out of this business if I have to pay no more. I'd rather give five pounds any day than stand by watching Mary Ellen and the Lord-Lieutenant making faces at a second-hand statue."

"It's a handsome offer, so it is," said Father McCormack, "and the thanks of the meeting??"

"I'll not pay a penny," said Doyle, "and what's more, if the doctor doesn't pay me what he owes me I'll put him into the County Court."

"It's you that'll have to pay," said Gallagher, "whether you like it or not."

"I'm d.a.m.ned if I do," said Doyle.

"Gentlemen, gentlemen," said Father McCormack, "will you mind what you're saying? That's no language to be using, Mr. Doyle; and I don't think the doctor has any right?not that I mind myself what you say for I'm not particular; but if it was to get out to the ears of the general public that this meeting had been conducting itself in ways that's very far from being reputable??"

"There's no general public here," said Dr. O'Grady, "and that's just as well."

"What I'm trying to tell you," said Father McCormack, "and what I would tell you if you'd listen to me, is that there's somebody knocking at the door of the room we're in and whoever it is must have heard every word that's been said this last five minutes."

Doyle and Gallagher stopped growling at each other when the priest spoke. Dr. O'Grady sat upright in his chair and bent his head towards the door. There was a moment's silence in the room and a very faint, as it were an apologetic, knock was heard at the door.

"Come in," said Dr. O'Grady.

Mary Ellen opened the door and looked in. She appeared to be rather frightened. If, as Father McCormack supposed she heard every word spoken during the previous five minutes, she had very good reason for feeling nervous. She had a still better reason a moment later when Doyle caught sight of her. Doyle had completely lost command of his temper.

"Get away out of that, Mary Ellen," he said, "and if I catch sight of you here again before I call for you I'll have the two ears cut off you and yourself sent home to your mother with them in a paper parcel in the well of the car."

Curiously enough this appalling threat seemed to cheer Mary Ellen a little. She smiled.

"Mrs. Gregg says??" she said.

"If you're not outside the door and it shut after you before I've done speaking I'll do what I've said and worse on top of that," said Doyle.

"I won't have Mary Ellen bullied," said Dr. O'Grady. "It's all you're fit for, Doyle, to frighten helpless little girls. If you'd talked that way to Billing when he was trying to run away without paying??"

"You're a nice one to talk about paying," said Doyle.

Dr. O'Grady left his seat and walked over lo the door.

"What is it now, Mary Ellen?" he said.

"Mrs. Gregg says," she said, "will I be wearing a hat or will I not?"

"Go back to Mrs. Gregg," said Dr. O'Grady, "and tell her that you will not wear a hat, but you'll have your hair tied up with a green silk ribbon to match your stockings. Would you like that?"

"I'd as soon have a hat," said Mary Ellen, "and Mr. Moriarty says???"

"Surely to goodness," said Dr. O'Grady, "he hasn't been helping to order your clothes!"

"He has not," said Mary Ellen, "but he was outside the barrack and me coming along the street??"

"He always is," said Dr. O'Grady.

"And he said to me that it wouldn't do for me to be dressed up any way foolish like."

"Let Constable Moriarty mind his own business," said Dr. O'Grady. "You go back and tell Mrs. Gregg what I say."

The other members of the committee sat listening with amazed interest to all Dr. O'Grady said to Mary Ellen. Even Doyle was too much astonished to attempt an interruption. He said nothing till the doctor, having dismissed Mary Ellen, returned to the table. Then he spoke.

"And who's going to pay for the green ribbon which is to go along with the stockings? Who's going to pay for it? That's what I'm asking you.

You needn't be thinking that I will."

"Gentlemen," said Dr. O'Grady, "I owe you all an apology. I'm afraid I lost my temper for a minute or two. Father McCormack, I beg your pardon, and if I said?as I fear I did say?anything disrespectful to you as chairman??"

"Don't speak another word, Doctor," said Father McCormack, "you've said enough. Sure anyone might have been betrayed into a strong expression when he was provoked. Not that you said a word to me that you've any reason to be sorry for."

"Major Kent," said Dr. O'Grady, "if I've in any way insulted you??"

"Not worse than usual," said Major Kent. "I'm quite accustomed to it."

"Mr. Doyle," said the doctor, "I'm afraid that in the heat of the moment I may have?but I can do no more than ask your pardon???"

"I don't care a thraneen," said Doyle, "what you called me, and I'll give you leave to call me that and more every day of the week if you see your way to get the 100 out of the American gentleman."

"I can't do that," said Dr. O'Grady, "but I have a proposal to lay before the meeting which I think will get us out of our difficulty."

CHAPTER XVI

"Let you speak out," said Doyle, "and if so be that you're not asking us to pay up??"

"I think we may take it for granted, gentlemen," said Dr. O'Grady, "that if we produce a creditable statue for the Lord-Lieutenant to unveil and give him a really gratifying illuminated address??"

"The statue and the illuminated address would be all right," said Doyle, "if there was any way of paying for them."