Part 18 (1/2)

”You'd maybe better read the letter I've given you, my lord,” said Crossan.

”If I'd been there,” said McNeice, ”your nephew would probably be dead now. In my opinion he ought to be.”

”The letter I've just given your lords.h.i.+p,” said Crossan, ”is an important one.”

”I'm sure it is,” I said. ”But I haven't time to read it now.”

”What's in it, my lord, is this. I'm resigning the management of your business here, and the sooner you're suited with a new man the better.”

”If my nephew G.o.dfrey has been worrying you, Crossan,” I said, ”I'll take steps--”

”It's not that, my lord. For all the harm his talk ever did me I'd stay on. But--”

He looked at McNeice as if asking permission to say more.

”Political business,” said McNeice.

”Of course,” I said, ”if it's a matter of politics, everything must give way to politics. But I'm very sorry to lose you, Crossan. My business affairs--”

”You'll have no business affairs left, my lord, if the Home Rule Bill pa.s.ses.”

”But you're going to stop it,” I said.

”We are,” said Crossan.

He certainly believed that he was. At the present moment he believes that he did stop it.

I found G.o.dfrey propped up in bed. His face had a curiously unbalanced appearance owing to the way in which one side of his jaw was swollen.

Bob Power's original blow must have been a hard one. I noticed when he spoke that one of his eye teeth was broken off short. He began to pour out his complaint the moment I entered the room.

”A murderous a.s.sault was made on me last night,” he said. ”After I left your house I walked down--”

”Don't talk if it hurts you, G.o.dfrey,” I said.

He was speaking in a m.u.f.fled way which led me to think that the inside of his mouth must be nearly as much swollen as the outside.

”That fellow Power had a band of ruffians with him. If he had fought fair I shouldn't have minded, but--”

”What were you doing,” I said, ”to make him attack you? He must have had some reason.”

”I wasn't doing anything. I was simply looking on.”

”That may have been the most objectionable thing possible,” I said. ”I don't say that his violence was justified; but it may have been quite excusable if you insisted on looking on at something which he didn't want you to see.”

G.o.dfrey actually tried to smile. He could not do so, of course, on account of the condition of his mouth, but I judged by the expression of his eyes that he was trying to. G.o.dfrey's smiles are always either malicious or idiotic. This one, if it had come off, would have been malicious.

”I saw all I wanted to,” he said, ”before they attacked me. In fact, I was just going for the police--”

”I suppose you sent for the police this morning?” I said.