"At any rate we must try," said Father M'Carthy.

"Exactly," said Mr. Somers; "and what we have now to do is to see
how we may best enable these workers to live on their wages, and how
those others are to live, who, when all is done, will get no wages."

"I think we had better turn shopkeepers ourselves, and open stores
for them everywhere," said Herbert. "That is what we are doing
already at Berryhill."

"And import our own corn," said the parson.

"And where are we to get the money?" said the priest.

"And why are we to ruin the merchants?" said O'Leary, whose brother
was in the flour-trade, in Cork.

"And shut up all the small shopkeepers," said Father Columb, whose
mother was established in that line in the neighbourhood of
Castleisland.

"We could not do it," said Somers. "The demand upon us would be so
great, that we should certainly break down. And then where would we
be?"

"But for a time, Somers," pleaded Herbert.

"For a time we may do something in that way, till other means
present themselves. But we must refuse all out-door relief. They who