"Well, well, if it is so, God's will be done," said he with a sigh. "Un bon coup d'epée, as we used to say formerly, is beautiful treatment for bad blood-and maybe you're going to fight with pistols; oh, murther, them dreadful things!"

"I begin to suspect,” said the major, slily," that Father Tom's afraid if you shoot Ulick, he'll never get that fifty pounds he won—hinc illæ lacrymæ eh, Tom?"

"Ah, the spalpeen," said the priest with a deep groan, “didn't he do me out of that money already."

"How so, father," said I, scarce able to repress my laughter at the expression of his face.

"I was coming down the main street yesterday evening, with Dr. Plunkett, the bishop, beside me, discoursing a little theology, and looking as pious and respectable as may be, when that villain Burke came running out of a shop, and pulling out his pocket-book, cried

"Wait a bit, Father Tom; you know I'm a little in your debt about that race, and as you're a sporting character, it's only fair to book up at once.'

"What is this I hear, Father Loftus?' says the bishop.

"Oh, my lord,' says I, he's a jocosus puera humbugging bla-guard; a farceur, your reverence, and that's the way he's always cutting his jokes upon the people."

"And so he does not owe you this money?' said the bishop, looking mighty hard at us both.

says

"Not a farthing of it, my lord.' "That's comfortable, any how,' Burke, putting up his pocket-book and faith, my lord,' said he with a wink, ́ I wish I had a loan of you for an hour or two every settling day, for troth you're a trump,' and with that he went off laughing, 'till ye'd have thought he'd split his sides, and I am sure I wish he had."

I don't think Mr. Burke himself could have laughed louder or longer at his scheme, than did we in hearing it. The priest at length joined in the mirth, and I could perceive, as the punch made more inroads upon him, and the evening wore on, that his holy horror of duelling was gradually melting away before the warmth of his Hibernian propensities. Like a wet sponge passed across

the surface of a dark picture, bringing forth from the gloom many a figure and feature indistinct before, and displaying touches of light not hitherto appreciable, so whiskey seems to exercise some strange power of displaying its votaries in all their breadth of character, divesting them of the adventitious clothes in which position or profession has invested them: thus a tipsy Irishman stands forth in the exuberance of his nationality, Hibernicis Hibernior. Forgetting all his moral declamation on duelling, oblivious of his late indignation against his cousin, he rubbed his hands pleasantly, and related story after story of his own early experiences, some of them not a little amusing.

The major, however, seemed not fully to enjoy the priest's anecdotical powers, but sipped his glass with a grave and sententious air.

"Very true, Tom," said he at length, breaking silence; "you have seen a fair share of these things for a man of your cloth; but where's the man livingshow him to me, I say that has had my experience, either as principal or second: haven't I had my four men out in the same morning?"

"Why, I confess," said I, meekly, "that does seem an extravagant allowance."

"Clear waste, downright profusion, du luxe, mon cher, nothing else,” observed Father Tom. Meanwhile, the major rolled his eyes fearfully at me, and fidgetted in his chair with impatience to be asked for his story, and as I myself had some curiosity on the subject, I begged him to relate it.

"Tom, here, doesn't like a story at supper," said the major pompously; for, perceiving our attitude of attention, he resolved on being a little tyrannical before telling it.

The priest made immediate submission; and, slily hinting that his objection only lay against stories he had been hearing for the last thirty years, said he could listen to the narration in question with much pleasure.

"You shall have it, then," said the major, as he squared himself in his chair, and thus began :

"You have never been in Castle Connel, Hinton? Well, there is a wide bleak line of country there, that stretches away to the westward, with nothing but large round-backed moun

tains, low boggy swamps, with here and there a miserable mud hovel, surrounded by, maybe, half an acre of lumpers, or bad oats; a few small streams struggle through this on their way to the Shannon, but they are brown and dirty as the soil they traverse; and the very fish that swim in them are brown and smutty also.

"In the very heart of this wild country, I took it into my head to build a house. A strange notion it was, for there was no neighbourhood and no sporting; but somehow, I had taken a dislike to mixed society some time before that, and I found it convenient to live somewhat in retirement ;-so that, if the partridges were not in abundance about me, neither were the processservers; and the truth was, I kept a much sharper look-out for the subsheriff than I did for the snipe.

"Of course, as I was over head and ears in debt, my notion was to build something very considerable and imposing; and, to be sure, I had a fine portico, and a flight of steps leading up to it; and there were ten windows in front, and a grand balustrade at the top; and, faith, taking it all in all, the building was so strong, the walls so thick, the windows so narrow, and the stones so black, that my cousin, Darcy Mahon, called it Newgate; and not a bad name either-and the devil another it ever went by: and even that same had its advantages; for when the creditors used to read that at the top of my letters, they'd say- Poor devil! he has enough on his hands: there's no use troubling him any more.' Well, big as Newgate looked from without, it had not much accommodation when you got inside. There was, 'tis true, a fine hall, all flagged; and out of it, you entered what ought to have been the dinner-room, thirty-eight feet by seven-and-twenty, but which was used for herding sheep in the winter. the right hand, there was a cozy little breakfast-room, just about the size of this we are in. At the back of the hall, but concealed by a pair of foldingdoors, there was a grand staircase of old Irish oak, that ought to have led up to a great suite of bed-rooms; but it only conducted to one, a little crib I had for myself. The remainder were never plaistered nor floored; and, indeed, in one of them, that was over the big drawing-room, the joists were

On

never laid, which was all the better, for it was there we used to keep our hay and straw.

"Now, at the time I mention, the harvest was not brought in, and instead of its being full, as it used to be, it was mighty low ;-so that, when you opened the door above stairs, instead of finding the hay up beside you, it was about fourteen feet down beneath you.

"I can't help boring you with all these details: first, because they are essential to my story; and next, be cause, being a young man, and a foreigner to boot, it may lead you to a little better understanding of some of our national customs. Of all the partialities we Irish have after lush and the ladies, I believe our ruling passion is to build a big house, spend every shilling we have, or that we have not, as the case may be, in getting it half finished, and then live in a corner of it, 'just for grandeur,' as a body may say. It's a droll notion, after all; but show me the county in Ireland that hasn't at least six specimens of what I mention.

"Newgate was a beautiful one; and although the sheep lived in the parlour, and the cows were kept in the blue drawing-room, Darby Whaley slept in the boudoir, and two bull dogs and a buck goat kept house in the library— faith, upon the outside it looked very imposing; and not one that saw it from the high road to Ennis-and you could see it for twelve miles in every direction-didn't say That Mahon must be a snug fellow: look what a beautiful place he has of it there!' Little they knew that it was safer to go up to the Reeks' than my grand staircase, and it was like rope-dancing to pass from one room to the other.

"Well, it was about four o'clock in the afternoon of a dark louring day in December, that I was treading homewards in no very good humour; for except a brace and a half of snipe, and a gray plover, I had met with nothing the whole day. The night was falling fast; so I began to hurry on as quickly as I could, when I heard a loud shout behind me, and a voice called out

"It's Bob Mahon, boys! By the hill of Scariff, we are in luck !'

"I turned about, and what should I see but a parcel of fellows in red coats -they were the blazers. There was

"And you don't mean to say that such a house as that hasn't a good larder and a fine cellar ?'

"You're right,' said I, and they're both full at this very moment the one with seed-potatoes, and the other with Whitehaven coals.'

"Have you got any bacon?' said Mahon.

"Oh, yes,' said I; there's bacon.'

"And eggs?' said another.

"For the matter of that, you might swim in batter.'

"Come, come,' said Dan Lambert, "we're not so badly off after all.'

"Is there whiskey?' cried Eyre. "Sixty-three gallons, that never paid the king six-pence!'

"As I said this, they gave three cheers, you'd have heard a mile off.

"After about twenty minutes' walking, we got up to the house, and when poor Darby opened the door, I thought he'd faint; for, you see, the red coats made him think it was the army, coming to take me away; and he was for running off to raise the country, when I caught him by the neck.

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Leave all that to Darby,' said I; for you see, he had only to whistle and bring up as many people as he liked and so he did too; and as there was room for a cavalry regiment, the horses were soon bedded down and comfortable; and in ten minutes' time we were all sitting pleasantly round a big fire, waiting for the rashers and eggs.

"Now, if you'd like to wash your hands before dinner, Lambert, come along with me.'

"By all means,' said he.

"The others were standing up too; but I observed, that as the house was large, and the ways of it unknown to them, it was better to wait 'till I'd come back for them.

"This was a real piece of good luck, Bob,' said Dan, as he followed me up stairs: capital quarters we've fallen into; and what a snug bed-room ye have here.'

"Yes,' said I, carelessly; it's one of the small rooms; there are eight like this, and five large ones, plainly furnished, as you see; but for the present you know

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Oh, begad! I wish for nothing better. Let me sleep here-the other fellows may care for your four posters with satin hangings."

“Well,' said I, if you are really not joking, I may tell you that the room is one of the warmest in the house' and this was telling no lie.

"Here I'll sleep,' said he, rubbing his hands with satisfaction, and giving the bed a most affectionate look. 'And now let us join the rest.'

"When I brought Dan down, I took up Burke, and after him M'Mahon, and so on to the last; but every time I entered the parlour, I found them all bestowing immense praises on my house, and each fellow ready to bet he had got the best bed-room.

"Dinner soon made its appearance; for if the cookery was not very perfect,

it was at least wonderfully expeditious. There were two men cutting rashers, two more frying them in the pan, and another did nothing but break the eggs -Darby running from the parlour to the kitchen and back again, as hard as he could trot.

"Do you know now, that many a time since, when I have been giving I venison, and Burgundy, and claret, enough to swim a life-boat in, I often thought it was a cruel waste of money -for the fellows weren't half as pleasant as they were that evening on bacon and whiskey!

"I've a theory on that subject, Hinton, I'll talk to you more about another time; I'll only observe now, that I'm sure we all over-feed our company. I've tried both plans; and my honest experience is, that as far as regards conviviality, fun, and goodfellowship, it is a great mistake to provide too well for your guests. There is something heroic in eating your mutton-chop, or your leg of a turkey, among jolly fellows; there is a kind of reflective flattery about it that tells you you have been invited for your drollery, and not for your digestion; and that your jokes, and not your flattery, have been your recommendation. Lord bless you! I've laughed more over red herrings and potteen, than I ever expect to do again over turtle and tokay.

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My guests were, to do them justice, a good illustration of my theory. A pleasanter and a merrier party never sat down together. We had good songs, good stories, plenty of laughing, and plenty of drink; until at last poor Darby became so overpowered, by the fumes of the hot water I suppose, that he was obliged to be carried up to bed, and so we were compelled to boil the kettle in the parlour. This, I think, precipitated matters; for by some mistake, they put punch into it instead of water, and the more you tried to weaken the liquor, it was only the more tipsy you were getting.

"About two o'clock, five of the party were under the table, three more were nodding backwards and forwards, like insane pendulums, and the rest were mighty noisy, and now and then rather disposed to be quarrelsome.

"Bob,' said Lambert to me, in a

whisper, if it's the same thing to you, I'll slip away, and get into bed."

"Of course, if you won't take any thing more. Just make yourself at home; and as you don't know the way here-follow me!'

"I'm afraid,' said he, I'd not find my way alone.'

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I think,' said I, 'it's very likely. But, come along!'

"I walked up stairs before him but instead of turning to the left, I went the other way, till I came to the door of the large room, that I have told you already was over the big drawing-room. Just as I put my hand on the lock, I contrived to blow out the candle, as if it was the wind.

"What a draught there is here,' said I; but just step in, and I'll go for a light.'

"He did as he was bid; but instead of finding himself on my beautiful little carpet, down he went fourteen feet into the hay at the bottom. I looked down after him for a minute or two, and then called out

"As I am doing the honours of Newgate, the least I could do was to show you the drop. Good night, Dan! but let me advise you to get a little farther from the door, as there are more coming.'

“Well, sir, when they missed Dan and me out of the room, two or three more stood up, and declared for bed also. The first I took up was Ffrench, of Green Park; for indeed he wasn't a cute fellow at the best of times; and if it wasn't that the hay was so low, he'd never have guessed it was not a feather-bed till he woke in the morning. Well, down he went. Then came Eyre! Then Joe Mahon -two-and-twenty stone. no less! Lord pity them!-this was a great shock entirely! But when I opened the door for Tom Burke, upon my conscience, you'd think it was Pandemonium they had down there. They were fighting like devils, and roaring with all their might.

"Good night, Tom,' said I, pushing Burke forward. It's the cows you hear underneath.'

"Cows!' said he. 'If they're cows, begad, they must have got at that sixty-three gallons of potteen you talked of, for they're all drunk.'

"With that, he snatched the candle out of my hand, and looked down into

the pit. Never was such a sight seen before or since. Dan was pitching into poor Ffrench, who, thinking he had an enemy before him, was hitting out manfully at an old turf-creel, that rocked and creaked at every blow, as he called out

"I'll smash you! I'll dinge your ribs for you, you infernal scoundrel!'

"Eyre was struggling in the hay, thinking he was swimming for his life; and poor Joe Mahon was patting him on the head, and saying, 'Poor fellow! good dog!' for he thought it was Towser, the bull-terrier, that was prowling round the calves of his legs.

"If they don't get tired, there 'ill not be a man of them alive by morning!' said Tom, as he closed the door. And now, if you'll allow me to sleep on the carpet, I'll take it as a favour.'

"By this time they were all quiet in the parlour; so I lent Tom a couple of blankets and a bolster, and, having locked my door, went to bed with an easy mind and a quiet conscience. To be sure, now and then a cry would burst forth, as if they were killing somebody below stairs, but I soon fell asleep and heard no more of them.

want to shoot me, because I hadn't fourteen feather-beds in the house.'

"They will be the laugh of the whole country, sir.'

"Troth!' said I, if the country is not in very low spirits, I think they will.'

"There's not a man of them can see! their eyes are actually closed up!'

"The Lord be praised!' said J. 'It's not likely they'll hit me.'

"But to make a short story of it; out we went. Tom Burke was my friend; I could scarce hold my pistol with laughing; for such faces no man ever looked at. But for self-preservation sake, I thought it best to hit one of them; so I just pinked Ffrench a little under the skirt of the coat.

"Come, Lambert!' said the colonel, 'it's your turn now.'

"Wasn't that Lambert,' said I, 'that I hit?'

"No,' said he, that was Ffrench.' "Begad, I'm sorry for it. Ffrench, my dear fellow, excuse me; for you see you're all so like each other about the eyes this morning'

"With this there was a roar of laughing from them all, in which, I assure you, Lambert took not a very prominent part; for somehow, he didn't fancy my polite inquiries after him; and so we all shook hands, and left the ground as good friends as ever, though to this hour the name of Newgate brings less pleasant recollections to their minds, than if their fathers had been hanged at its prototype."

WHEN morning broke I started up and opened the window. It was one of those bright and beauteous daybreaks which would seem to be the compensation a northern climate possesses for its want of the azure sky of noon and the silver moonlight of night, the gifts of happier climes.

The pink hue of the sky was gradually replacing the paler tints, like a deep blush mantling the cheek of beauty; the lark was singing high in heaven, and the deep note of the blackbird came mellowed from the leafy grove; the cattle were still at rest, and seemed half unwilling to VOL. XX. No. 115.

break the tranquil stillness of the scene, as they lay breathing the balmy odours from the wild flowers that grew around them. Such was the picture that lay on one side of me; on the other was the long street of a little town, on which yet the shadows of night were sleeping; the windows were closed; not a smoke-wreath rose from any chimney, but all was still and peaceful.

In my little parlour I found the good priest and the major fast asleep in their chairs, pretty much in the same attitudes I had left them in some hours before. The fire had died

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