indeed. I challenge you to send for him. Let him come here. Bring him before me, and he shall judge between us."
"No," said Michael Sunlocks, "I will not send for him."
Then there was a knock at the door, and after a pause the Speaker entered, with his stoop and uncertain glance. "Excuse me," he said, "will you sign the pardon now, or leave it until the morning?"
"I will not sign it at all," said Michael Sunlocks. But at the next moment he cried, "Wait! After all, it is not the man's fault, and he shall not suffer."
With that he took the paper out of the Speaker's hand and signed it hurriedly. "There," he said, "see that the man is set free immediately."
The Speaker looked at both of them out of his near-sighted eyes, coughed slightly, and left the room without a word more.
Chapter XXII.
The President or the Man.
I.
When the Fairbrothers left Government House after their dirty work was done, Jacob was well content with himself, but his brothers were still grumbling.
"He didn't seem anyways keen to believe it," Thurstan muttered.
"Leave him alone for that," said Jacob. "Did ye see when I gave him the letter?"
"Shoo! I wouldn't trust but she'll persuade him she never writ it," said Thurstan.
"He's got it anyways, and we've nothing to show for it," said Stean.
"And noways powerful grateful either. And where's the fortune that was coming straight to our hand?" said Ross.
"Chut, man, there's nothing for us in his mighty schame," said Thurstan.
"I always said so," said Asher; "and five-and-thirty pounds of good money thrown into the sea."
"Go on," said Jacob with a lofty smile, "go on, don't save your breath for your porridge," and he trudged along ahead of his brethren. Presently he stopped, faced about to them, and said, "Boys, you're mighty sure that nothing is coming of this schame," with a look of high Hisdain at Thurstan.
