While we rambled on, chatting of all that came uppermost, the wine
passed freely across the narrow table, and the evening wore on. My
curiosity to know more of one, who, on whatever he talked, seemed
thoroughly informed, grew gradually more and more; and at last I
ventured to remind him, that he had half promised me the previous
evening, to let me hear something of his own history.

"No, no," said he laughing; "story telling is poor work for the teller
and the listener too; and when a man's tale has not even brought a
moral to himself, it's scarcely likely, to be more generous towards his
neighbour."

"Of course," said I, "I have no claim, as a stranger----"

"Oh, as to that," interrupted he, "somehow I feel as though we were
longer acquainted. I've seen much of the world, and know by this time
that some men begin to know each other from the starting post--others
never do, though they travel a life long together;--so that on that
score, no modesty. If you care for my story, fill your glass, and let's
open another flask, and here it's for you, though I warn you beforehand
the narrative is somewhat of the longest."

CHAPTER VI. MR. O'KELLY'S TALE

"I can tell you but little about my family," said my host, stretching
out his legs to the fire, and crossing his arms easily before him. "My
grandfather was in the Austrian service, and killed in some old battle
with the Turks. My father, Peter O'Kelly, was shot in a duel by an
attorney from Youghal. Something about nailing his ear to the pump, I've
heard tell was the cause of the row; for he came down to my father's,
with a writ, or a process, or something of the kind. No matter--the
thief had pluck in him; and when Peter--my father that was--told him,
he'd make a gentleman of him, and fight him, if he'd give up the bill
of costs; why the temptation was too strong to resist; he pitched the
papers into the fire, went out the same morning, and faith he put in
his bullet, as fair, as if he was used to the performance. I was only
a child then, ten or eleven years old, and so I remember nothing of
the particulars; but I was packed off the next day to an old aunt's, a
sister of my father's, who resided in the town of Tralee.

"Well, to be sure, it was a great change for me, young as I was, from
Castle O'Kelly to Aunt Judy's. At home, there was a stable full of
horses, a big house, generally full of company, and the company as fall
of fun; we had a pack of harriers, went