sensitiveness, so we hastened shivering to bed, and the house was
again quiet.

"Monday morning the doctor summoned us all to his study, and there
instituted one of his usual courts of inquiry. He was judge, jury and
counsel. Pat was the principal witness, and we boys were there in
order to corroborate or refute Pat's testimony, and also to sustain
somewhat the respectability of the court I suppose.

"'Patrick,' said the doctor, in opening the case, 'what was the cause
of that noise up stairs Saturday night?'

"'Well, Your Riverence,' began Pat, and his small gray eyes twinkled as
he cast a sly glance at me, 'Sathurday noight I fought I'd call on me
cousin, who has just coom from the ould counthry, an' is workin' in the
village'--

"'At Smith's,' put in Al, by way of explanation."

The doctor was not very strict when he held court during holidays,
otherwise he might have told Al to remain silent until he was
questioned.

"'At Smit's,' repeated Pat, 'an' moindin' not to disturb yez by comin'
in late, sure I just climbed up to the hall winder, an' as I wur half
t'rough, an' wur' takin' somethin' from me pocket'--

"'A flat bottle,' interposed Al.

"'A bottle, eh? And what was in it?' asked the doctor, suspiciously,
in an unprecedented manner beginning the cross-examination before the
direct was concluded.

"'Only a wee dhrap of medicine, sur,' said Pat. 'Me cousin was afeared
I had the influenzys, an' gave it to me for it.'

"'Go on,' said doctor, with a smile.

"'As I wur a-sayin', sur, I dhrew forth the bottle, whin there came wan
yell from Masther Fred in the back part of the hall, an' says he, "Och!
murther! he's dhrawin' his pistol!" an' thin' he run like--like'--

"'Ay, ay!' exclaimed doctor, warningly.

"'Like a deer,' said Pat; 'an' as I wur a-sayin', sur, I looked up and
saw Masther Al fornist me, with a gun dhrawed up to his shoulder an'
pintin' at me, an' says I, "Don't murther me!"

"'An' sure, sir, he did not, an' thin we wint an' pullt Fred out from
under the bed, where he'd crawled wid his two legs stickin' out in the
moonlight, an' Tam an' messel' wur smilin' quiet like, an' Your
Riverence towld us to shut up, an' we wint to bed, sur.'

"'And how did Tom act?' said the doctor. 'Eh, Tom, you young rogue,
what are you snickering and giggling at behind Pat's back? Are you
laughing at him or me?'

"'Neither,' I replied; 'but the truth is, doctor, that Pat told me he
might be out late