‘Alas! I am quite aware of that; but I hold my opinion, nevertheless. The demand for an Irish Parliament independent of an Imperial one will come to the front, the Liberal Party will find themselves compelled to support it—’
‘And then we shall have peace.’
‘No a bit of it! Then we shall have civil war. It was only a week or two since I was talking to a porter at the Limerick Station. He said to me: “The people want Home Rule. Let ’em have it, and there won’t be many of ’em left.” And I fear the porter was right.’
‘Why, who will there be to fight?’
‘The men of the North. I have no sympathy with Orangemen: they are hard and bigoted, and have done immense mischief in Ireland; but they will never be content with a Home Rule measure which will hand them over to their foes. Things are bad enough now, with England keeping both parties, to a certain extent, from flying at each other. What Ireland will be under Home Rule such as will be accepted by the Nationalists I shudder to contemplate.’
‘You are easily alarmed,’ said the priest, as he took his leave. ‘We shall have Home Rule, and for once Ireland will be at peace.’
‘I hope so, I am sure,’ said Mr. Wentworth, as the reverend gentleman left him alone.
CHAPTER XIX.
WENTWORTH RETIRES.
Just as the Irish ‘praste’ walked out, a gentleman rushed in, breathless and unannounced.
‘Ah, my dear boy,’ said he, ‘in the language of Scripture I ask, What doest thou here, Elijah?’