106 THE DEAD HEAT 



singing sotto voce a verse of a song from the same 

 author, as he strode carelessly from the room : — 



" Put Ills arm round her waist, 

 Gave ten kisses at laste, 



' Oh ! ' says he, ' you're my Molly Malone, 



' My own, 

 ' Oh ! ' says he, 'you're my Molly Malone ! '" 



What did he mean ? 



" By the great gun of Athlone, I'm mighty glad 

 entirely they're both gone from the room," said a 

 hard-riding Galway squire, as the illustrious Captain 

 O'Eooney disappeared from sight. " I thought 

 there was an illigant row brewing. Better as it is. 

 Where O'Eooney is to get the coin from if he loses, 

 divil a one of me knows. He's in ' Quare Street ' 

 long ago. Never mind, boys ; let us have the 

 groceries. ' Punch ! you are my darling,' and the 

 devil fly away with dull care. Now Colonel," he 

 continued, " upon my conscience, as O'Eooney won't 

 listen to reason, you must look after Fortescue's 

 interests. O'Eooney will endeavour to pick out a 

 country. I mean he will go building up walls, and 

 so on. You must have your own way a little, or, 

 begorra, he'll do as he likes entirely. Now, there is 

 one thing that will beat him if anything will — you 

 must insist on that, or I would not give a trauneen 

 for Fortescue's chance — and that is " (he dropped 



