CHAPTER IX.
HOW A SQUIRE WAS FOUND FOR THE KNIGHT OF THE RUEFUL COUNTENANCE.
When Dr. Toole grumbled at his disappointment, he was not at all aware
how nearly his interview with Loftus had knocked the entire affair on
the head. He had no idea how much that worthy person was horrified by
his proposition; and Toole walked off in a huff, without bidding him
good-night, and making a remark in which the words 'old woman' occurred
pretty audibly. But Loftus remained under the glimpses of the moon in
perturbation and sore perplexity. It was so late he scarcely dared
disturb Dr. Walsingham or General Chattesworth. But there came
the half-stifled cadence of a song—not bacchanalian, but
sentimental—something about Daphne and a swain—struggling through the
window-shutters next the green hall-door close by, and Dan instantly
bethought himself of Father Roach. So knocking stoutly at the window, he
caused the melody to subside and the shutter to open. When the priest, looking out, saw Dan Loftus in his deshabille, I believe he thought for a moment it was something from the neighbouring churchyard.
However, his reverence came out and stood on the steps, enveloped in a
hospital aroma of broiled bones, lemons, and alcohol, and shaking his
visitor affectionately by the hand—for he bore no malice, and the
Lenten ditty he quite forgave as being no worse in modern parlance than
an unhappy 'fluke'—was about to pull him into the parlour, where there
was ensconced, he told him, 'a noble friend of his.' This was 'Pat
Mahony, from beyond Killarney, just arrived—a man of parts and
conversation, and a lovely singer.'
But Dan resisted, and told his tale in an earnest whisper in the hall. The priest made his mouth into a round queer little O, through which he sucked a long breath, elevating his brows, and rolling his eyes slowly about.
'A jewel! And Nutter, of all the men on the face of the airth—though I
often heerd he was a fine shot, and a sweet little fencer in his youth, an' game, too—oh, be the powers! you can see that still—game to the back-bone—and—whisht a bit now—who's the other?'
'Lieutenant O'Flaherty.'
(A low whistle from his reverence). 'That's a boy that comes from a
fighting county—Galway. I wish you saw them at an election time. Why, there's no end of divarsion—the divarsion of stopping them, of course, I mean (observing a sudden alteration in Loftus's countenance). An' you, av coorse, want to stop it? And so, av coorse, do I, my dear. Well, then, wait a bit, now—we must have our eyes open. Don't be in a hurry—let us be harrumless as sarpints, but wise as doves. Now, 'tis a fine thing, no doubt, to put an end to a jewel by active intherfarence, though I have known cases, my dear child, where suppressing a simple jewel has been the cause of half a dozen breaking out afterwards in the same neighbourhood, and on the very same quarrel, d'ye mind—though, of coorse, that's no reason here or there, my dear boy! But take it that a jewel is breaking down and coming to the ground of itself (here a hugely cunning wink), in an aisy, natural, accommodating way, the only effect of intherfarence is to bolster it up, d'ye see, so just considher how things are, my dear. Lave it all to me, and mind my words, it can't take place without a second. The officers have refused, so has Toole, you won't undertake it, and it's too late to go into town. I defy it to come to anything. Jest be said be me, Dan Loftus, and let sleeping dogs lie. Here I am, an old experienced observer, that's up to their tricks, with my eye upon them. Go you to bed—lave them to me—and they're checkmated without so much as seeing how we bring it to pass.'
Dan hesitated.
'Arrah! go to your bed, Dan Loftus, dear. It's past eleven
o'clock—they're nonplussed already; and lave me—me that understands
it—to manage the rest.'
'Well, Sir, I do confide it altogether to you. I know I might, through
ignorance, do a mischief.'
And so they bid a mutual good-night, and Loftus scaled his garret stair
and snuffed his candle, and plunged again into the business of two
thousand years ago.
'Here's a purty business,' says the priest, extending both his palms, with a face of warlike importance, and shutting the door behind him with what he called 'a cow's kick;' 'a jewel, my dear Pat, no less; bloody work I'm afeared.'