That's what the
judge is having to put up with. I daresay he'd be glad enough to
change places with you."
"Tell me what you did, J. J. You must have eaten enough of that mutton
now."
"I've had," said Meldon, leaning back in his chair, "a long and
exhausting day. It has also been a disappointing day. I haven't
accomplished all I hoped."
"You never do."
"On the contrary, I always do--in the end. My first plan for keeping
the judge out of Ballymoy failed. I frankly admit that. It failed
because the judge turns out to be a pig-headed and obstinate man, who
doesn't know what's good for him. I told him distinctly that if he
came to Doyle's hotel he'd get typhoid fever and die. O'Donoghue
backed me up. But we didn't produce the slightest effect on the judge.
His attitude reminded me of that saying of Napoleon's about Englishmen
being such fools that they don't know when they are beaten. This
wretched judge thinks he can defy disease germs, which of course he
can't."
"The fact being," said the Major, "that he recognised at a glance the
kind of man you are, and knew that he needn't believe a word you said.
I rather respect the judge.
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