“That depends on how long you’re dressing, Mr Lynch.”
“Upon my word, this is cool enough, in a man’s own house!” said Barry. “Well, you don’t expect me to get up while you’re there, I suppose?”
“Indeed I do, Mr Lynch: never mind me; just wash and dress yourself as though I wasn’t here. I’ll wait here till we go down together.”
“I’m d––––d if I do,” said Barry. “I’ll not stir while you remain there!” and he threw himself back in the bed, and wrapped the bedclothes round him.
“Very well,” said Mr Armstrong; and then going out on to the landing-place, called out over the banisters—“Doctor—Doctor Colligan! tell his lordship Mr Lynch objects to a private interview: he had better just step down to the Court-house, and issue his warrant. You might as well tell Constable Nelligan to be in the way.”
“D––––n!” exclaimed Barry, sitting bolt upright in his bed. “Who says I object to see anybody? Mr Armstrong, what do you go and say that for?” Mr Armstrong returned into the room. “It’s not true. I only want to have my bed-room to myself, while I get up.”
“For once in the way, Mr Lynch, you must manage to get up although your privacy be intruded on. To tell you the plain truth, I will not leave you till you come downstairs with me, unless it be in the custody of a policeman. If you will quietly dress and come downstairs with me, I trust we may be saved the necessity of troubling the police at all.”
Barry, at last, gave way, and, gradually extricating himself from the bedclothes, put his feet down on the floor, and remained sitting on the side of his bed. He leaned his head down on his hands, and groaned inwardly; for he was very sick, and the fumes of last night’s punch still disturbed his brain. His stockings and drawers were on; for Terry, when he put him to bed, considered it only waste of time to pull them off, for “shure wouldn’t they have jist to go on agin the next morning?”
“Don’t be particular, Mr Lynch: never mind washing or shaving till we’re gone. We won’t keep you long, I hope.”
“You’re very kind, I must say,” said Barry. “I suppose you won’t object to my having a bottle of soda water?”—and he gave a terrible tug at the bell.