“He does that, and it’s a crying shame, so it is, that he’s allowed to; but sure that’s the way things are in this country.”
Gallagher took another gulp of whisky and waited. Doyle said nothing more. He appeared to have nothing more to say and to have mentioned Mr. Ford’s name merely for the sake of making conversation. But Gallagher wished to develop the subject.
“What about Mr. Ford?” he said, after a long silence.
“He’s terrible down on the erection of the statue to General John Regan.”
“I’m that myself,” said Gallagher.
“Mr. Ford will be pleased when he hears it; for there’ll be no statue if you set your face against it. It’ll be then that Mr. Ford will be proud of himself. He’ll be saying all round the Country that it was him put a stop to it.”
“It will not be him that put a stop to it.”
“It’s what he’ll say, anyway,” said Doyle.
Gallagher finished his whisky in two large gulps.
“Let him,” he said.