The Man in Possession — page 107: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

| 102 THE MAN IN POSSESSION. ‘‘ Perhaps,” said Kate, ‘‘ you may find your Brewery has done a great deal of harm. Drink is the curse of Europe. Without it there would be fewer crimes, less poverty, and greater content. There would be no wars because the people would not have their maddened brains incited, or their fierce passions roused by a fiend who is never content without the tax of human lives. There would be more enjoy- ment of rational amusements, because their minds would be in a rational condition. And : ‘‘And, in short,” interrupted Tom Rivers, ‘‘if you and I, Miss O’Brien, could form a league to rationalise the young aristocracy and abolish all the drink palaces in Great Britain, we should revolutionise the whole nation. What a glorious scheme!” ‘¢It would indeed be ‘Great’ Britain then,” said Kate sadly. ‘‘ But, oh, what is the use of talking? It has all been said before over and overagain. One can moralisefor ever. One can see all sorts of faults and criticise legal errors and misrule, but what can one do really to make things better?” ‘That is a problem I| am trying to solve,” said Tom Rivers. ‘‘It is not an easy one, and neces- sitates a study of all sorts and conditions of life, men and manners. But,” he added. lapsing into his old manner again, ‘‘I live in hope, Miss O’Brien, and that is a great thing.” ‘Ah, now, Tom,” said a voice beside them, ‘‘ have I found you at last? Has he been bothering you with his politics, Miss O’Brien? ‘Tis hard work to stop his tongue once he begins. If he inherited nothing else from the ‘Ould Country’ which he’s COMicloe So! ‘