Well, the end o’ the matther was that Jack had to go before the magisthrates that was sittin’ at petty sisshins that same day for assault and batthery, and ruinin’ the property of Mr. O’Shannasey; but the magisthrates said sarve him right, an’ if he summonsed Jack for tattherin’ his consarn Jack might summons him for false imprisonment—so it was even betune them, an’ dismissed the case.
But Jack was never the same man afther. It tuck all the pride out of him to be made a tuppenny raree-show. And many a time aftherwards he used to say, in the bittherness of his heart, that was all a big man was good for nowadays, when there was no fightin’ or any other divarshin going on.
The occupants of the parlour of the “Blue Dolphin” were greatly amused at the story told by the loquacious and genial Mr. Macarty, who, to say the truth, had no inconsiderable amount of ability in giving effect to a humorous narrative.
“But did it really occur?” inquired one of the company.
“Did it? Why, ov coorse,” returned Macarty. “Do you think I’d be afther invintin’ a pack of lies? Sure I was there at the time myself, an’ remember it as if it tuk place only yistherdy.”
“You must draw a line of course,” remarked the little man.
“Och, but we niver dhraw a line in our business, divil a bit,” said the showman. “I don’t suppose any ov yez have the slightest idaya of the devices and fakements we have to resort to. Why a legitimate an’ genuine article in many cases does not atthract half as well as a ‘fake.’ Every exhibitor knows that. Faith, you may draw a line as much as you plaze, but a man who undherstands his business will soon jump over it, or else bedad he’ll have to starve. It’s the same in iverythin’.”
“That’s right enough,” said Peace. “A ‘fake’ will do more than a legitimate thing. I’ll just give you a case in point. My father was a showman, or rather head man to one. He was a tamer of wild beasts.”
“Your father! Ochone, I thought you were a boy after my own heart when I first met you,” cried Macarty. “Bedad, we must have a friendly glass together at my expinse.”
Glasses were ordered.