George A. Birmingham

“ Clithering had been with me, off and on, most of the day, so I had got rather tired of tragedy.
“I think it right to inform your lordship,” said Crossan, “that Mr. Godfrey D’Aubigny has just been arrested in the streets.”
“Good!” I said. “I hope that whoever has him won’t let him go.”
“He’s to be tried by court martial,” said Crossan, “on suspicion of being a spy.”
Godfrey actually haunts me. No sooner have I achieved a moment’s peace and quietness—with the greatest difficulty in the middle of a rebellion—than Godfrey breaks in on me. How he came to be in Belfast I could only dimly guess. ”

“ You can see for yourself that a telegram to the Prime Minister is much worse. I really think you’d better stay where you are.”
But Clithering was, unfortunately, in a mood of hysterical heroism. He said that he did not value his life, that lives were only given to men in order that they might lay them down, and that the noblest way of laying down a life was in the service of humanity.
I could see that Crossan was getting more and more suspicious every minute.
“It is in order to save the lives of others,” he said, “that I want to send my telegram to the Prime Minister.” ”

“ Between them the committee and the Government had destroyed what little peace Belfast ever had. The least they could do was to restore it.
Moyne took the chair as usual. He opened our proceedings by saying firmly and decisively, that he intended to surrender himself at once to the authorities.
“We’re the only authorities there are at present,” said McNeice, “so if you want to surrender—”
“We must resolve ourselves into a Provisional Government,” said the Dean, who always likes to do things constitutionally.
“The police,” said Moyne feebly. ”