know men now in the States from whom I could form a good staff; but how
about the people of Ireland? What evidence have we that they will rise,
if we land?"

"The best," said the president. "We have a head-centre here, Citizen
Desmond, who will give you the most recent and the most authentic
intelligence on that head."

"The whole country is organized," said the head-centre; "we could put
three hundred thousand men in the field at any time in a fortnight. The
movement is not sectarian; it pervades all classes and all creeds. All
that we want are officers and arms."

"Hem!" said the general; "and as to your other supplies? Any scheme of
commissariat?"

"There will be no lack of means," replied the head-centre. "There is no
country where so much money is hoarded as in Ireland. But, depend upon
it, so far as the commissariat is concerned, the movement will be
self-supporting."

"Well, we shall see," said, the general; "I am sorry it is an Irish
affair, though, to be sure, what else could it be? I am not fond of
Irish affairs: whatever may be said, and however plausible things may
look, in an Irish business there is always a priest at the bottom of it.
I hate priests. By-the-by, I was stopped on my way here by a cardinal
getting into his carriage. I thought I had burnt all those vehicles
when I was at Rome with Garibaldi in '48. A cardinal in his carriage!
I had no idea you permitted that sort of cattle in London."