“I may be a liar,” said Kerrigan, “but it’s the truth I told you this minute. And liar or no liar it’s the truth I’ll speak now, when I tell you that I’m not near as damned a liar as yourself, Mr. Gallagher. So there’s for you. What do you mean by telling the American gentleman that I was married to Mary Ellen and her with twins? Was that a lie now or was it not? Twins! Cock the like of that one up with twins! If I’m a liar I’d tell more sensible lies than that.” “Whisht, now, whisht,” said Doyle. “Sure if Mr. Gallagher said that, isn’t the girl a cousin of his own, and hadn’t he the best right to say it?” “Come along out of this,” said Gallagher. “The sooner you’re gone the better I’ll be pleased,” said Kerrigan. “And let me tell you this, Mr. Kerrigan, junior. You’ll be sorry for this day’s work for the longest day ever you live. When the League boys hear, and they will hear, about the tune that you mean to play——” “Come along now, Thady,” said Doyle. “Come along. You’ve enough said. We’re late for the meeting of the committee already, and we’ll be later yet if you don’t come on. You wouldn’t like to keep Father McCormack waiting on you.” “I’ve had enough of your committee,” said Gallagher. “What’s your statue only foolishness?” “Sure everybody knows that,” said Doyle. “And what’s your Lord-Lieutenant only——” “Come on, now,” said Doyle, “isn’t it for the benefit of the town we’re doing it? And it’s yourself that’s always to the fore when there’s good work to be done.” “I will not go with you,” said Gallagher. They had passed through Kerrigan’s shop and reached the street, when Gallagher delivered this ultimatum. Doyle hesitated. He was already late for the committee meeting. If he waited to coax Gallagher out of his bad temper he might miss the meeting altogether. He looked at the door of the hotel. Father McCormack was standing at it, waiting, perhaps, for him and Gallagher. “Come now, Thady,” he said, “have sense. Don’t you see Father McCormack waiting for you?” “I see him,” said Gallagher. “And don’t you know well enough that you’ll have no luck if you go against the clergy?” The appeal was a strong one, and had he been in any ordinary temper Gallagher would have yielded to it at once. But he was very angry indeed, far too angry to be influenced by purely religious considerations. He walked straight across the square to his office, entered it, and slammed the door behind him. Doyle followed him as far as the threshold. There he stopped and looked round. He saw Father McCormack go into the hotel. A minute later Mrs. Gregg hurried down the street and went into the hotel. Doyle sighed heavily and entered Gallagher’s office. Difficult and unpleasant as his task was likely to be, he felt that he must propitiate Thady Gallagher. “Thady,” he said, “is there a drop of anything to drink in the place?” “There is not,” said Gallagher, “nor I wouldn’t drink it if there was.”