第41章

OnthestepsoftheCityhallCouncillorNannetti，descending，hailedAldermanCowleyandCouncillorAbrahamLyonascending。

ThecastlecarwheeledemptyintoupperExchangestreet。

LookhereMartin，JohnWyseNolansaid，overtakingthemattheMailoffice。IseeBloomputhisnamedownforfiveshillings。

Quiteright，MartinCunninghamsaid，takingthelist。Andputdownthefiveshillingstoo。

Withoutasecondwordeither，MrPowersaid。

Strangebuttrue，MartinCunninghamadded。

JohnWyseNolanopenedwideeyes。

I’llsaythereismuchkindnessinthejew，hequotedelegantly。

TheywentdownParliamentstreet。

There’sJimmyHenry，MrPowersaid，justheadingforKavanagh’s。

Righto，MartinCunninghamsaid。Heregoes。

OutsidelaMaisonClaireBlazesBoylanwaylaidJackMooney’sbrother-in-law，humpy，tight，makingfortheliberties。

JohnWyseNolanfellbackwithMrPower，whileMartinCunninghamtooktheelbowofadapperlittlemaninashowerofhailsuitwhowalkeduncertainlywithhastystepspastMickyAnderson’swatches。

Theassistanttownclerk’scornsaregivinghimsometrouble，JohnWyseNolantoldMrPower。

TheyfollowedroundthecornertowardsJamesKavanagh’swinerooms。TheemptycastlecarfrontedthematrestinEssexgate。MartinCunningham，speakingalways，showedoftenthelistatwhichJimmyHenrydidnotglance。

AndLongJohnFanningisheretoo，JohnWyseNolansaid，aslargeaslife。

ThetallformofLongJohnFanningfilledthedoorwaywherehestood。

Goodday，MrSubsheriff，MartinCunninghamsaid，asallhaltedandgreeted。

LongJohnFanningmadenowayforthem。HeremovedhislargeHenryClaydecisivelyandhislargefierceeyesscowledintelligentlyoveralltheirfaces。

Aretheconscriptfatherspursuingtheirpeacefuldeliberations？

hesaid，withrichacridutterancetotheassistanttownclerk。

Hellopentochristianstheywerehaving，JimmyHenrysaidpettishly，abouttheirdamnedIrishlanguage。Wherewasthemarshal，hewantedtoknow，tokeeporderinthecouncilchamber。AndoldBarlowthemacebearerlaidupwithasthma，nomaceonthetable，nothinginorder，noquorumevenandHutchinson，thelordmayor，inLlandudnoandlittleLorcanSherlockdoinglocumtenensforhim。DamnedIrishlanguage，ofourforefathers。

LongJohnFanningblewaplumeofsmokefromhislips。

MartinCunninghamspokebyturns，twirlingthepeakofhisbeard，totheassistanttownclerkandthesubsheriff，whileJohnWyseNolanheldhispeace。

WhatDignamwasthat？LongJohnFanningasked。

JimmyHenrymadeagrimaceandliftedhisleftfoot。

O，mycorns！hesaidplaintively。Comeupstairsforgoodness’saketillIsitdownsomewhere。Uff！Ooo！Mind！

TestilyhemaderoomforhimselfbesideLongJohnFanning’sflankandpassedinandupthestairs。

Comeonup，MartinCunninghamsaidtothesubsheriff。Idon’tthinkyouknewhimorperhapsyoudid，though。

WithJohnWyseNolanMrPowerfollowedthemin。

Decentlittlesoulhewas，MrPowersaidtothestalwartbackofLongJohnFanningascendingtowardsLongJohnFanninginthemirror。

Ratherlowsized，DignamofMenton’sofficethatwas，MartinCunninghamsaid。

LongJohnFanningcouldnotrememberhim。

Clatterofhorsehoofssoundedfromtheair。

What’sthat？MartinCunninghamsaid。

Allturnedwheretheystood；JohnWyseNolancamedownagain。FromthecoolshadowofthedoorwayhesawthehorsespassParliamentstreet，harnessandglossypasternsinsunlightshimmering。Gailytheywentpastbeforehiscoolunfriendlyeyes，notquickly。Insaddlesoftheleaders，leapingleaders，rodeoutriders。

Whatwasit？MartinCunninghamasked，astheywentonupthestaircase。

ThelordlieutenantgeneralandgeneralgovernorofIreland，JohnWyseNolanansweredfromthestairfoot。

AstheytrodacrossthethickcarpetBuckMulliganwhisperedbehindhispanamato