"You seem to know all about it," said d.i.c.k; "maybe _you_ have instructed them."

"No, sir, I didn't instwuct them," said Furlong, very angry at being twitted by d.i.c.k.

d.i.c.k laughed in his face, and said, "Maybe that's some of your electioneering tactics--eh?"

Furlong got very angry, while d.i.c.k and Murphy shouted with laughter at him--"No, sir," said Furlong, "I don't welish the pwactice of such di'ty twicks."

"Do you apply the word 'dirty' to me, sir?" said d.i.c.k the Devil, ruffling up like a game-c.o.c.k. "I'll tell you what, sir, if you make use of the word 'dirty' again, I'd think very little of kicking you--ay, or eight like you--I'll kick eight Furlongs one mile."

"Who's talking of kicking?" asked O'Grady.

"I am," said d.i.c.k, "do you want any?"

"Gentlemen! gentlemen!" cried the sheriff, "order! pray order! do proceed with the business of the day."

"I'll talk to you after about this!" said O'Grady, in a threatening tone.

"Very well," said d.i.c.k; "we've time enough, the day's young yet."

O'Grady then proceeded to find fault with Egan, censuring his politics, and endeavouring to justify his defection from the same cause. He concluded thus: "Sir, I shall pursue my course of duty; I have chalked out my own line of conduct, sir, and I am convinced no other line is the right line. Our opponents are wrong, sir--totally wrong--all wrong; and, as I have said, I have chalked out my own line, sir, and I propose the Honourable Sackville Scatterbrain as a fit and proper person to sit in parliament for the representation of this county."

The O'Gradyites shouted as their chief concluded; and the Merryvalians returned some groans, and a cry of "Go home, turncoat!"

Egan now presented himself, and was received with deafening and long-continued cheers, for he was really beloved by the people at large; his frank and easy nature, the amiable character he bore in all his social relations, the merciful and conciliatory tendency of his decisions and conduct as a magistrate, won him the solid respect as well as affection of the country.

He had been for some days in low spirits in consequence of Larry Hogan's visit and mysterious communication with him; but this, its cause, was unknown to all but himself, and therefore more difficult to support; for none but those whom sad experience has taught can tell the agony of enduring in secret and in silence the pang that gnaws a proud heart, which, Spartan like, will let the tooth destroy, without complaint or murmur.

His depression, however, was apparent, and d.i.c.k told Murphy he feared Ned would not be up to the mark at the election; but Murphy, with a better knowledge of human nature, and the excitement of such a cause, said, "Never fear him--ambition is a long spur, my boy, and will stir the blood of a thicker-skinned fellow than your brother-in-law. When he comes to stand up and a.s.sert his claims before the world, he'll be all right!"

Murphy was a true prophet, for Egan presented himself with confidence, brightness, and good-humour on his open countenance.

"The first thing I have to ask of you, boys," said Egan, addressing the a.s.sembled throng, "is a fair hearing for the other candidate."

"Hear, hear," followed from the gentlemen in the gallery.

"And, as he's a stranger amongst us, let him have the privilege of first addressing you."

With these words he bowed courteously to Scatterbrain, who thanked him very much like a gentleman, and accepting his offer, advanced to address the electors. O'Grady waved his hand in signal to his body-guard, and Scatterbrain had three cheers from the ragam.u.f.fins.

He was no great things of a speaker, but he was a good-humoured fellow, and this won on the Paddies; and although coming before them under the disadvantage of being proposed by O'Grady, they heard him with good temper:--to this, however, Egan's good word considerably contributed.

He went very much over the ground his proposer had taken, so that, bating the bad temper, the pith of his speech was much the same, quite as much deprecating the political views of his opponent, and harping on O'Grady's worn-out catch-word of "Having chalked out a line for himself," &c. &c. &c.

Egan now stood forward, and was greeted with fresh cheers. He began in a very Irish fashion; for, being an unaffected, frank, and free-hearted fellow himself, he knew how to touch the feelings of those who possess such qualities. He waited till the last echo of the uproarious greeting died away, and the first simple words he uttered were--

"Here I am, boys!"

Simple as these words were, they produced "one cheer more."

"Here I am, boys--_the same I ever was_."

Loud huzzas and "Long life to you!" answered the last pithy words, which were sore ones to O'Grady, who, as a renegade, felt the hit.

"Fellow-countrymen, I come forward to represent you, and, however I may be unequal to _that_ task, at least I will never _mis_represent you."

Another cheer followed.

"My past life is evidence enough on _that_ point; G.o.d forbid I were of the mongrel breed of Irishmen who speak ill of their own country. I never did it, boys, and I never will! Some think they get on by it, and so they do, indeed;--they get on as sweeps and shoe-blacks get on--they drive a dirty trade and find employment;--but are they respected?"

Shouts of "No!--no!"

"You're right!--No!--they are not respected--even by their very employers. Your political sweep and shoe-black is no more respected than he who cleans our chimneys or cleans our shoes. The honourable gentleman who has addressed you last confesses he is a stranger amongst you; and is _he_, a stranger, to be your representative? You may be civil to a stranger--it is a pleasing duty,--but he is not the man to whom you would give your confidence. You might share a hearty gla.s.s with a stranger, but you would not enter into a joint lease of a farm without knowing a little more of him; and if you would not trust a single farm with a stranger, will you give a whole county into his hands? When a stranger comes to these parts, I'm sure he'll get a civil answer from every man I see here,--he will get a civil 'yes' or a civil 'no' to his questions; and if he seeks his way, you will show him his road. As to the honourable gentleman who has done you the favour to come and ask you civilly, will you give him the county, you as civilly may answer 'No,'

and _show him his road home again_. ('So we will.') As for the gentleman who proposed him, he has chosen to make certain strictures upon my views, and opinions, and conduct. As for views--there was a certain heathen G.o.d the Romans worshipped, called Ja.n.u.s; he was a fellow with two heads--and by-the-bye, boys, he would have been just the fellow to live amongst us; for when one of his heads was broken he would have had the other for use. Well, this Ja.n.u.s was called 'double-face,' and could see before and behind him. Now, _I'm no double-face_, boys; and as for seeing before and behind me, I can look back on the past and forward to the future, and _both_ the roads are _straight ones_. (Cheers.) I wish every one could say as much. As for my opinions, all I shall say is, _I_ never changed _mine_; Mr. O'Grady can't say as much."

"Sure there's a weatherc.o.c.k in the family," said the voice in the crowd.

A loud laugh followed this sally, for the old dowager's eccentricity was not _quite_ a secret. O'Grady looked as if he could have eaten the whole crowd at a mouthful.

"Much has been said," continued Egan, "about gentlemen chalking out lines for themselves;--now, the plain English of this determined chalking of _their own_ line is _rubbing out every other man's line_.

(Bravo.) Some of these chalking gentlemen have lines chalked up against them, and might find it difficult to pay the score if they were called to account. To such, rubbing out other men's lines, and their own too, may be convenient; but I don't like the practice. Boys, I have no more to say than this, _We know and can trust each other!_"

Egan's address was received with acclamation, and when silence was restored, the sheriff demanded a show of hands; and a very fine show of hands there was, _and every hand had a stick in it_.

The show of hands was declared to be in favour of Egan, whereupon a poll was demanded on the part of Scatterbrain, after which every one began to move from the court-house.

O'Grady, in very ill-humour, was endeavouring to shove past a herculean fellow, rather ragged and very saucy, who did not seem inclined to give place to the savage elbowing of the Squire.

"What brings such a ragged rascal as you here?" said O'Grady, brutally; "you're not an elector."

"Yis, I am!" replied the fellow, st.u.r.dily.

"Why, _you_ can't have a lease, you beggar."

"No, but maybe I have an article."[22]

[22] A name given to a written engagement between landlord and tenant, promising to grant a lease, on which registration is allowed in Ireland.

"What is your article?"

"What is it?" retorted the fellow, with a fierce look at O'Grady.

"'Faith, it's a fine bra.s.s blunderbuss; _and I'd like to see the man would dispute the t.i.tle_."

O'Grady had met his master, and could not reply; the crowd shouted for the ragam.u.f.fin, and all parties separated, to gird up their loins for the next day's poll.

CHAPTER XIX