Upon my honor, I am glad to find that you are loyal, at all events, and that is a rare virtue among most persons of your creed;--excuse me, but, except in name, I can scarcely consider you as belonging to it.
"Why, sir," replied John, "I trust I am a firm, but not a bigoted Catholic." "Roman Catholic, John, always say, if you plaise; we claim to be the true Catholics you know; and for that raison it is better always to avoid confusion." "As to that, we shall not quarrel about it, I trust," replied Purcel; "but with respect to another point, there is only one opinion, Mr.
O'Driscol, and that is, that you are a most resolute and determined man." "Magistrate you mane, I think, John; so magistrate, if you plaise--ha! ha!' ha! By the way will you touch the bell?
Thank you." "I beg your pardon," proceeded Purcel, having touched the bell, "I should have said magistrate: because it very often happens that whilst the man is a coward, the magistrate is as brave as the Duke of Wellington." "Upon my honor and conscience, there may be some truth in that," said O'Driscol, nodding, but at the same time not exactly appropriating the category to himself; "but how do you make that appear, John ?" "Why," replied Purcel, who, between ourselves, was a bit of a wag in his way, "it proceeds from the spirit of his office.

Take a magistrate, for instance, as a man--a mere man; place him in the ordinary situations of society; let him ride home at night, for instance, through a disturbed district like this, which, if he is wise, he will avoid doing, or let him be seen in an isolated position even in daylight without protection, and you will find him a coward of the first shaking.

On the contrary, place him, as a magistrate, at the head of a body of police or military, and where will you witness such courage?
That, then, is the individual, I say, who being naturally a coward as a man, goes through his duty with courage as a magistrate; I say this is the individual whom the government should reward with especial favor." "By the way, will you touch that bell again ?--oh, here he comes.

Sam," he said, addressing a servant, "get me up a bottle of soda-wather.

Will you have a glass of soda, John?
I dipped a little too deep last night." "No, sir, thank you," replied Purcel, "I was moderate last night; and at all events soda is rather cold for such a day as this is." "Well, then can't you stiffen it with a little brandy ?" "No, thank you, I won't touch anything at present.