This is the gentleman who is intrusted with the conversion of poor
Eugene O'Clery, the Irish emigrant orphan; and he set about the work in
right earnest fashion.




CHAPTER XX.

THE SAME, CONTINUED.


During the first two months, Eugene had comparatively but little to fear
from the bigotry of his protector at Greenditch; but he was not indebted
for this limited peace to the generosity of Mr. Shaw Gulvert. Indeed,
that ignorant and cruel man dared not to execute his designs regarding
the little confessor of the cross, while his two hired men, named
Devlin, were in his house to enlighten his ignorance and reprimand his
audacity. These two young men, brothers, were hired for a year by
Gulvert, under the impression that they were native born; but after the
contract between them was signed, and especially when Friday came on,
Mr. Gulvert found he was _gulled_, and ran off to the parson, one
Waistcoat, to see what was to be done. The young men told him not to be
alarmed if he thought their presence would endanger his peace of mind,
or that any dangerous consequences were to be apprehended from two such
formidable soldiers of the Pope as they were; that he could easily get
rid of them by paying them their year's wages, and they would go
elsewhere to work; but that, while in his house, they insisted on
perfect religious and mental independence. "And in future," said they,
"we expect to see cooked and on the table, on Fridays and fast days,