great idea of carrying on the war on her own premises, but who felt
seriously afraid of Barry now that she was in his house, "don't be
saying such things, to frighthen her. But you'll be asier there than
here," she continued, to Anty; "and there's nothin like having things
asy. So, get up alanna [12], and we'll have you warm and snug down there in
no time."

[FOOTNOTE 12: alanna--my child]

Anty did not want much persuading. She was soon induced to get up and
dress herself, to put on her cloak and bonnet, and hurry off with the
widow, before the people of Dunmore should be up to look at her going
through the town to the inn; while Biddy was left to pack up such
things as were necessary for her mistress' use, and enjoined to hurry
down with them to the inn as quick as she could; for, as the widow
said, "there war no use in letting every idle bosthoon [13] in the
place see her crossing with a lot of baggage, and set them all asking
the where and the why and the wherefore; though, for the matther of
that, they'd all hear it soon enough."

[FOOTNOTE 13: bosthoon--a worthless fellow]

To tell the truth, Mrs Kelly's courage waned from the moment of her
leaving her own door, and it did not return till she felt herself
within it again. Indeed, as she was leaving the gate of Dunmore House,
with Anty on her arm, she was already beginning to repent what she was
doing; for there were idlers about, and she felt ashamed of carrying
off the young heiress. But these feelings vanished the moment she had
crossed her own sill. When she had once got Anty home, it was all
right. The widow Kelly seldom went out into the world; she seldom went
anywhere except to mass; and, when out, she was a very modest and
retiring old lady; but she could face the devil, if necessary, across
her own counter.

And so Anty was rescued, for a while, from her brother's persecution.
This happened on the morning on which Martin and Lord Ballindine met
together at the lawyer's, when the deeds were prepared which young
Kelly's genuine honesty made him think necessary before he eloped with
old Sim Lynch's heiress. He would have been rather surprised to hear,
at that moment, that his mother had been before him, and carried off
his bride elect to the inn!

Anty was soon domesticated. The widow, very properly, wouldn't let her
friends, Meg and Jane, ask her any questions at present. Sally had
made, on the occasion, a pot of tea sufficient to supply t