e's lots of news there, then; I'll tell you when I've got my
dinner. How's the ould lady?" and he stepped on, as if to pass by
them, upstairs.

"Stop a moment, Martin," said Meg; "don't be in a hurry; there's some
one there."

"Who's there? is it a stranger?"

"Why, then, it is, and it isn't," said Jane.

"But you don't ask afther the young lady!" said her sister.

"May I be hanged thin, av' I know what the two of ye are afther! Is
there people in both the rooms? Come, girls, av' ye've anything to
tell, why don't you out wid it and have done? I suppose I can go into
the bed-room, at any rate?"

"Aisy, Martin, and I'll tell you. Anty's in the parlour."

"In the parlour upstairs?" said he; "the deuce she is! And what brought
her here? Did she quarrel with Barry, Meg?" added he, in a whisper.

"Indeed she did, out and out," said Meg.

"Oh, he used her horrible!" said Jane.

"He'll hear all about that by and by," said Meg. "Come up and see her
now, Martin."

"But does mother know she's here?"

"Why, it was she brought her here! She fetched her down from the house,
yesterday, before we was up."

Thus assured that Anty had not been smuggled upstairs, her lover, or
suitor as he might perhaps be more confidently called, proceeded to
visit her. If he wished her to believe that his first impulse, on
hearing of her being in the house, had been to throw himself at her
feet, it would have been well that this conversation should have been
carried on out of her hearing. But Anty was not an exigent mistress,
and was perfectly contented that as much of her recent history as
possible should be explained before Martin presented himself.

Martin went slowly upstairs, and paused a moment at the door, as if he
was a little afraid of commencing the interview; he looked round to his
sisters, and made a sign to them to come in with him, and then, quickly
pushing open the unfastened door, walked briskly up to Anty and shook
hands with her.

"I hope you're very well, Anty," said he; "seeing you here is what I
didn't expect, but I'm very glad you've come down."

"Thank ye, Martin," replied she; "it was very good of your mother,
fetching me. She's been the best friend I've had many a day."

"Begad, it's a fine thing to see you and the ould lady pull so well
together. It was yesterday you came here?"

"Yesterday morning. I was so glad to come! I don't know what they'd
been saying to Barry; but the night before last he got drin