Well, the long and the short of it is, O'Flaherty, I must
decline to be a party to any attempt to deceive your mother. I
thoroughly disapprove of this feeling against the English,
especially at a moment like the present. Even if your mother's
political sympathies are really what you represent them to be, I
should think that her gratitude to Gladstone ought to cure her of
such disloyal prejudices.
O'FLAHERTY [over his shoulder]. She says Gladstone was an
Irishman, Sir. What call would he have to meddle with Ireland as
he did if he wasn't?
SIR PEARCE. What nonsense! Does she suppose Mr Asquith is an
Irishman?
O'FLAHERTY. She won't give him any credit for Home Rule, Sir. She
says Redmond made him do it. She says you told her so.
SIR PEARCE [convicted out of his own mouth]. Well, I never meant
her to take it up in that ridiculous way. [He moves to the end of
the garden seat on O'Flaherty's left.] I'll give her a good
talking to when she comes. I'm not going to stand any of her
nonsense.
O'FLAHERTY. It's not a bit of use, sir. She says all the English
generals is Irish.
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