General John Regan Part 48

The crowd cheered loudly. Dr. O'Grady whispered to Lord Alfred that he ought to say something about the value of the statue as a work of art.

But this time Lord Alfred's will was stronger than the doctor's. He jumped off the pedestal and flatly declined to mount it again. He was crimson in the face with mortification and embarra.s.sment. Then, when the cheering subsided a little, Mr. Billing's voice was heard, clear and incisive. He had pushed his way from the door of the hotel and was standing near the statue.

"That's a darned poor speech," he said.

It is extraordinary how close the primitive barbarian is to the most civilised man. No one could have been more carefully trained than Lord Alfred Blakeney. No one possessed more of that suave self-control which distinguishes a man of the governing cla.s.ses from the members of the mob. Yet Lord Alfred collapsed suddenly under the strain to which he had been subjected. Mr. Billing's taunt threw him back to an earlier, a very early stage of development.

"Make a better one yourself, then," he said, "whoever you are."

"I'll make one that'll create a sensation, anyhow," said Mr. Billing.

He stepped jauntily up the two steps of the pedestal.

"Mr. Lord-Lieutenant, Right Reverend Sir, Ladies and Gentlemen," he said.

Lord Alfred Blakeney clutched Dr. O'Grady by the arm.

"I'm not the Lord-Lieutenant," he said desperately.

"I'm not even his representative. Do try to make him understand that."

"It doesn't in the least matter who you are," said Dr. O'Grady. "Listen to the speech."

"When I first set eyes on this town a month ago I thought I had b.u.mped up against a most dead-alive, G.o.d-forsaken, one-horse settlement that Europe could boast."

The crowd, being as Gallagher always a.s.serted intensely patriotic, was not at all pleased at this beginning. Several people groaned loudly.

Mr. Billing listened to them with a bland smile. The people were still further irritated and began to boo. Thady Gallagher broke suddenly from Doyle's control, and rushed forward waving his arms.

"Pull the Yank down out of that," he shouted. "What right has he to be standing there maligning the people of Ireland?"

Father McCormack and Doyle were after him at once and closed on him, each of them grasping one of his swinging arms.

"Behave yourself, Thady," said Father McCormack, "behave yourself decent."

"Isn't it him that's paying for the statue," said Doyle, "and hasn't he a right to say what he likes?"

Mr. Billing seemed quite unimpressed by Gallagher's fiery interruption.

He smiled benevolently again.

"I got bitten with the notion of speeding you up a bit," he said, "because I felt plumb sure that there wasn't a live man in the place, nothing but a crowd of doddering hop-toads."

The hop-toad is a reptile unknown in Ireland, but its name sounds disgusting. The crowd began to get very angry, and surged threateningly towards the platform. Sergeant Colgan felt that a great opportunity had arrived. He had all his life been looking for a chance of quelling a riot. He had it at last.

"Keep back, now," he said, "keep back out of that. Do you want me to draw my baton to you?"

"Well, gentlemen," said Mr. Billing, "I was mistaken and I own up. There is one live man in Ballymoy anyway. We haven't got a medical gentleman on our side of the Atlantic equal to Dr. Lucius O'Grady. He has run this show in a way that has surprised me considerable. He has erected a statue that will be an ornament to this town, and it's a pleasure to me to pay for it."

"Hear, hear," shouted Doyle.

The crowd, which had been booing a minute before, cheered heartily.

"He's fetched down the representative of the Lord-Lieutenant of this country to unveil the statue!"

"I'm not," said Lord Alfred feebly. "I wish I could get you to understand that I'm not his representative."

His protest was lost in a fresh burst of cheers.

"He has provided a charming grand-niece," said Mr. Billing, "a grand-niece that any man, living or dead, might be proud of?-"

"Get out," said Mary Ellen softly.

"For General John Regan," said Mr. Billing amidst tumultuous cheers, "and when I tell you that no such General ever existed in Bolivia or anywhere else, you'll be in a position to appreciate your doctor."

Doyle dropped Gallagher's arm and rushed forward. The crowd, too, astonished by Mr. Billing's last words, even to cheer, stood silent.

What Doyle said was plainly heard.

"Be d.a.m.n, doctor, but you're great, and I'd say that if it was the last word ever I spoke. Ask him for the price of the new pier now and he'll give it to you."

"Gentlemen," said Mr. Billing, "if 2,000 dollars will build the pier Mr. Doyle wants, I'll give it with pleasure, and I reckon that the show which Dr. O'Grady has run is cheap at the price."

Sergeant Colgan stepped forward with slow dignity. He beckoned to Constable Moriarty. His face wore an expression of steady determination.

"It would be better, doctor," he said, "if you and the other gentlemen present would move away. The demeanour of the crowd is threatening."

The demeanour of the crowd was, in fact, hilarious; but Dr. O'Grady understood that there are limits to the patience of the official guardians of law and order. The police?the fact is exemplified in their occasional dealings with the students of Trinity College?appreciate a joke as well as any men, and up to a certain point are tolerant of merriment. But it is possible to go too far, and there is a point at which fooling becomes objectionable. Dr. O'Grady took Mr. Billing by the arm.

"Come along," he said, "and let us have a drink of some sort, and something to eat. There's no reason why we shouldn't have something to eat. Doyle has a magnificent luncheon spread out in his hotel. Run in Doyle, and tell the cook to dish up the potatoes. Major, you bring Mrs.

Gregg along with you. I'm sure Mrs. Gregg wants something to eat. Lord Alfred, I'm sorry we haven't a lady for you to take in, but Father McCormack will show you the way."

"If this business gets into the papers," said Lord Alfred, "the Freeman's Journal will make capital of it, and the Irish Times will say the Government must resign at once. Can't we square the reporters?"

"There aren't any," said Dr. O'Grady, "unless Gallagher's been taking notes. Come along."

The party, Doyle at the head of it, pa.s.sed into the hotel. Sergeant Colgan turned and faced the crowd. His hand was on the baton at his side. His face and att.i.tude were majestic.

"Get along home now, every one of yous," he said.

"Get along out of that!" said Constable Moriarty.

In twos and threes, in little groups of ten and twelve, silently obedient, the crowd slunk away. The statue of General John Regan was left looking down upon an empty market place. So the last word is spoken in the pleasant drama of Irish life. The policeman speaks it. "Get along home out of that, every one of you." So the curtain drops on our performances. In spite of our whirling words we bow to, in the end, the voice of authority.

THE END