“What the sergeant said was that it would be better for me to patrol along between Mr. Gregg’s house and Mr. Ford’s, so that if either the one or the other of them was to see me he’d know that I was patrolling. I wouldn’t say a word against Mr. Gregg, who’s a nice gentleman enough, and easy pleased. But it’s hard to pacify Mr. Ford, and the sergeant thought——” “I can tell you this,” said Dr. O’Grady, “that if Mrs. Ford catches you lying in wait for Mary Ellen on the road outside her house, it will be a jolly sight harder to pacify Mr. Ford than it was before. Surely you can understand that.” Moriarty understood it thoroughly. He was not very well pleased, but he was a young man of considerable prudence, and was filled with a sincere desire to rise in his profession. He spent the rest of the afternoon in patrolling a road at the other end of Ballymoy. Dr. O’Grady hurried on. His next stop was at the door of Kerrigan’s shop. The elder Kerrigan was leaning against the wooden slab on which he was accustomed to cut up joints. He was smoking a pipe. “Where’s your son?” said Dr. O’Grady. “He’s within in the back yard,” said Kerrigan. “Tell him I want to see him.” “I’m not sure can he come to you; for he’s taking the skin off a sheep that he’s just after slaughtering.” “Let him wash his hands,” said Dr. O’Grady. “The sheep can wait.” “I’m not sure will he come,” said Kerrigan. “He’s not overly much pleased with you this minute, doctor, and that’s the truth.” “What’s the matter with him?” “It’s on account of your saying that he was thinking of getting married to Mary Ellen.” “It was Gallagher said that. I’d nothing to do with it one way or the other.” “I wouldn’t be minding myself what you said,” said Kerrigan, “knowing well that you wouldn’t be meaning any harm, whatever it was; though the girl’s no match for him, and I wouldn’t care for him to be carrying on with her, when it’s a girl with a fortune he ought to get, and what’s more, can get, whenever I choose to ask for her. But I wouldn’t pay any attention to what was put out about him and Mary Ellen. I’m only telling you so as you’d know why it is that the boy’s mind is riz against you.” “What nonsense! Everybody in the place knows that it’s Constable Moriarty who’s after the girl.” “It’s just that that’s troubling the boy. On account of Constable Moriarty being a comrade of his; so that he wouldn’t like him to be thinking—— But sure, I’ll fetch him for you, if you like.” Young Kerrigan appeared a few minutes later. His father did not come back with him. He may have felt it necessary, in the interests of his business, to go on skinning the sheep. It was evident at once that the young man was in a bad temper, but Dr. O’Grady did not mean to waste time in explanations if he could possibly help it. “Listen to me, Kerrigan,” he said, “do you know this tune?” He whistled “Rule Britannia” slowly and distinctly. “I do not know it,” said young Kerrigan, “nor I don’t want to.”