Pete went out to buy a sheet of notepaper and an envelope, a pen, and a
postage stamp. He had abundance of all theso at home, but that did not
serve his turn. Going to as many shops as might be, he dropped hints
everywhere of the purpose to which his purchases were to be put.
Finally, he went to the barber's in the market-place and said, “Will you
write an address for me, Jonaique?”
“Coorse I will,” said the barber, sweeping a hand of velvet over one
cheek of the postman, who was in the chair, leaving the other cheek in
lather while he took up the pen.
“Mistress Peter Quilliam, care of Master Joseph Quilliam, Esquire,
Scotland Road, Liverpool” dictated Pete.
“What number, Capt'n?” said Jonaique.
“Number?” said Pete, perplexed. “Bless me, what's this the number is
now? Oh,” by a sudden inspiration, “five hundred and fifteen.”
“Five hundred--d'ye say _five_” said the postman from the half of his
mouth that was clear.
“Five,” said Pete emphatically. “Aw, they're well up.”
“If _you_ say so, Capt'n,” said the barber, and down went “515.”
Pete returned home with the stamped and addressed envelope open in his
hands, “Clane the table quick,” he shouted; “I must be writing to Kirry.
Will I give her your love, Nancy?”
With much hem-ing and ha-ing and clearing of his throat, Pete was
settling himself before a sheet of note-paper, when the door opened, and
Philip stepped into the house. His face was haggard and emaciated; his
eyes burned as with a fire that came up from within.
“I've come to warn you,” he said; “you are in great danger. You must
stop that demonstration.”
“Sit down, sir, sit down,” said Pete.
Philip did not seem to hear. He walked to and fro with short, nervous,
noiseless steps. “The Governor sent for me last night, and I found
him in a frenzy. 'Deemster,' he said, 'they tell me there's to be a
disturbance at Tynwald--have you heard of anything?' I said, 'Yes, I had
heard of a meeting of fishermen at Peel.' 'They talk of their
rights,' said he; 'I'll teach them something of one right they seem
to forget--the right of the Governor to shoot down the disturbers of
Tynwald, without judge or jury.' 'That's a very old prerogative, your
Excellency,' I said; 'it comes down from more lawless days than ours.
You will never use it.' 'Will I not?' said he. 'Listen, I'll tell you
what I've done already. I've ordered the regiment at Castletown to be
on Tynwald Hill on Tynwald day. Every man of these--there are three
hundred--shall have twenty rounds of ball-cartridge. Then, if the
vagabonds try to interrupt the Court, I've only to lift my hand--so--and
they'll be mown down like grass.' 'You can't mean it,' I said, and I
tried to take his big talk lightly. 'Judge for yourself--see,' and
he showed me a paper. It was an order for the ambulance waggons to be
stationed on the ground, and a request to the doctors of Douglas to be
present.”
“Then we've made the ould boy see that we mane it,” said Pete.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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