Stories
which were exaggerated, accounts worse even than the truth, were
bandied about as to the perseverance with which the murdered man
had destroyed the prospects of the supposed murderer, and robbed
the country of the services of a good workman. Mr. Gresham, in the
official statement which he had made, had, as a matter of course,
said many fine things about Mr. Bonteen. A man can always have fine
things said about him for a few hours after his death. But in the
small private conferences which were held the fine things said all
referred to Phineas Finn. Mr. Gresham had spoken of a "dastardly
ruffian in the silent watches," but one would have almost thought
from overhearing what was said by various gentlemen in different
parts of the House that upon the whole Phineas Finn was thought to
have done rather a good thing in putting poor Mr. Bonteen out of the
way.
And another pleasant feature of excitement was added by the prevalent
idea that the Prince had seen and heard the row. Those who had been
at the club at the time of course knew that this was not the case;
but the presence of the Prince at The Universe between the row and
the murder had really been a fact, and therefore it was only natural
that men should allow themselves the delight of mixing the Prince
with the whole concern.
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