320 GARRYOWEN 



kick — this time in the stomach — and, seizing the 

 maniac by the collar of his coat, got him on his 

 legs, using him as gently as though he were dealing 

 with a refractory child. Another man, had he 

 received the kicks that Moriarty had received, 

 would have paid them back in ill-treatment; but 

 Moriarty never lost his temper, and it was a rule 

 of honour with him that a drunken man should 

 be treated with all possible tenderness and con- 

 sideration. He would just as soon have struck 

 a priest, a woman or a child as a man in Hquor. 



Once on his legs all fight seemed to die out of 

 Mr Piper. Wild hilarity and attempts at song 

 took the place of belHcosity. Bad language also 

 came to the surface and found expression. 



" He'll do," said Moriarty. " He'll do. Andy, 

 clip hold of his other arm. Now then, open the 

 door and down to the village with him. The thing 

 that's thrubbhn' me is he's gone under so quick 

 that maybe he's only shamming." 



" Faith," said Andy, " I know why he's gone 

 undher so quick. It's be raison of me givin' him 

 the second glass nate. I forgot to put the wather 

 in it." 



Miss Grimshaw, who had been unable to tear 

 herseK av/ay from the window, had increased her 

 powers of observation by opening the sash. She 

 heard Moriarty's voice, and the voices of the 

 others. What they could be doing to the bailiff 

 was quite beyond her power of imagination to 

 discover. 



