passionate old man, and the doctor expected that there would be a quarrel;—­but he was prepared to face that.  He was under no special debt of gratitude to the lord, having given as much as he had taken in the long intercourse which had existed between them;—­and he agreed with his son in thinking that if there was to be a Liberal candidate at Loughshane, no consideration of old pill-boxes and gallipots should deter his son Phineas from standing.  Other considerations might very probably deter him, but not that.  The Earl probably would be of a different opinion, and the doctor felt it to be incumbent on him to break the news to Lord Tulla.

“The devil he is!” said the Earl, when the doctor had told his story.  “Then I’ll tell you what, Finn, I’ll support him.”

“You support him, Lord Tulla!”

“Yes;—­why shouldn’t I support him?  I suppose it’s not so bad with me in the country that my support will rob him of his chance!  I’ll tell you one thing for certain, I won’t support George Morris.”

“But, my lord—­”

“Well; go on.”

“I’ve never taken much part in politics myself, as you know; but my boy Phineas is on the other side.”

“I don’t care a ——­ for sides.  What has my party done for me?  Look at my cousin, Dick Morris.  There’s not a clergyman in Ireland stauncher to them than he has been, and now they’ve given the deanery of Kilfenora to a man that never had a father, though I condescended to ask for it for my cousin.  Let them wait till I ask for anything again.”  Dr. Finn, who knew all about Dick Morris’s debts, and who had heard of his modes of preaching, was not surprised at the decision of the Conservative bestower of Irish Church patronage; but on this subject he said nothing.  “And as for George,” continued the Earl, “I will never lift my hand again for him.  His standing for Loughshane would be quite out of the question.  My own tenants wouldn’t vote for him if I were to ask them myself.  Peter Blake”—­Mr. Peter Blake was the lord’s agent—­“told me only a week ago that it would be useless.  The whole thing is gone, and for my part I wish they’d disenfranchise the borough.  I wish they’d disenfranchise the whole country, and send us a military governor.  What’s the use of such members as we send?  There isn’t one gentleman among ten of them.  Your son is welcome for me.  What support I can give him he shall have, but it isn’t much.  I suppose he had better come and see me.”

The doctor promised that his son should ride over to Castlemorris, and then took his leave,—­not specially flattered, as he felt that were his son to be returned, the Earl would not regard him as the one gentleman among ten whom the county might send to leaven the remainder of its members,—­but aware that the greatest impediment in his son’s way was already removed.  He certainly had not gone to Castlemorris with any idea of canvassing for his son, and yet he had canvassed for him most satisfactorily.