Part 36 (1/2)

”Hold on a minute,” said Bland.

He got out a note-book and a pencil and prepared to write.

”Now,” he said, ”go on.”

Bland's expectant att.i.tude, and the fact that he was evidently going to take down what I said in shorthand, embarra.s.sed me. When I write essays I like to work deliberately and to correct carefully. I aim at a polished elegance of style. I do not care for the kind of offhand composition Bland asked for.

”'Interview with a Revolutionary Peer,'” said Bland, ”'Lord Kilmore on the Ulster Situation.' You were just going to say--”

”Oh, nothing much. Only that the feelings of that New Zealander--”

”Meditating on the ruins of a shattered civilization,” said Bland. ”I can put in that part myself.”

”--Are nothing to yours--” I said.

”_Yours_,” said Bland.

”Well, mine, if this must be an interview; but I'd rather you had the whole credit.--Are nothing to mine when I survey the vacant pedestal of that statue. You catch the idea now?”

”No,” said Bland. ”I don't. Is there one?”

”Yes, there is. These unrecognizable fragments of stone, the once majestic statue, Ulster's loyalty.”

”Good,” said Bland. ”I have it now.” He began to write rapidly. ”'To the thoughtful mind there was something infinitely tragic in the shattered statue of the great queen, symbol of the destruction of an ideal. England bought the friends.h.i.+p of Nationalist Ireland at a heavy price when the guns of her Fleet annihilated the loyalty of Ulster.'

That's your idea.”

”You've got it exactly,” I said.

”I'll send it off at once.”

”Yes. You'd better hurry. It's almost certain to occur to Babberly, and the moment it does he'll put it into a speech. If he does, the whole credit will go to him.”

This impressed Bland. He hurried away towards the post-office. I felt that I was not likely to get anything more out of the statue. I put a small bit of it in my pocket to keep as a souvenir, and then strolled along Donegal Place.

I met Crossan, who saluted me gravely.

”The provisional Government,” he said, ”desires your lords.h.i.+p's presence in the City Hall.”

”I'm glad there's a provisional Government,” I said. ”We want something of the sort. Do you happen to know if I'm a member of it?”

”I've been looking for you, my lord,” said Crossan, severely, ”for over an hour, and there's no time to waste.”

I hurried off. The Government, after driving off the British Fleet, was likely to be in a good temper, but I did not wish to keep it waiting for me too long.

When I entered the room I found Conroy, McNeice, Malcolmson, Cahoon and the Dean seated at the table. Moyne was not there.

”I congratulate you, gentlemen,” I said, ”on the result of the naval engagement. Malcolmson was perfectly magnificent. It was you, wasn't it, who--?”

”I didn't see anything magnificent about it,” said Malcolmson, sulkily.