This Cork story comes naturally, because at that time I was living near Cork and very happily too.
Now and again we took trips up to Dublin when I had business there.
I am not much of a playgoer, but in Dublin we always went to the theatre on the chance of hearing some of the proverbial wit of its gallery.
On one occasion, a lady in the play, when her lover had had some doubt of her fidelity, exclaimed:—
'Would there were a mirror in my side that you could see into my heart.'
Whereupon a voice from the gods shouted:—
'Would not a pain [i.e. pane] in your stomach do as well. I have one myself.'
Lord Chancellor Brady was of a notoriously convivial temperament, which did not prevent him being an admirable lawyer when he would allow his wits to get their heads above water, so to speak, though it was little enough that he used to dilute his spirits.
When Jenny Lind sang in some Italian opera, he occupied a seat in the vice-regal box, and gazed at her through a portentously enormous lorgnette.
This was too much for a wag in the gallery, who yelled:—