my
breakfast--"so many that I can scarce remember more than the names of
the people I knew very-well. Is there a Miss O'Kelly living in the town?
It was somewhere near this, her house."

'"Yes, above Mr. Moriarty's, that's where she lived; but sure she's dead
and gone, many a day ago. I mind Father Donnellan, the priest that was
here before Mr. Nolan, saying Masses for her sowl, when I was a slip of
a boy."

'"Dead and gone," repeated I to myself sadly--for, though I scarcely
expected to meet my poor old relative again, I cherished a kind of half
hope that she might still be living. "And the priest, Father Donnellan,
is he dead too?"

'"Yes, sir; he died of the fever, that was so bad four years ago."

'"And Mrs. Brown that kept the post-office?"

'"She went away to Ennis when her daughter was married there; I never
heard tell of her since."

'"So that, in fact, there are none of the old inhabitants of the town
remaining. All have died off?"

"Every one, except the ould captain; he's the only one left"

'"Who is he?"

'"Captain Dwyer; maybe you knew him?"

'"Yes, I knew him well; and he's alive? He must be very old by this
time."

'"He 's something about eighty-six or seven; but he doesn't let on to
more nor sixty, I believe; but, sure, talk of----- God preserve us, here
he is!"

'As he spoke, a thin, withered-looking old man, bent double with age,
and walking with great difficulty, came to the door, and, in a cracked
voice, called out--

'"Ned M'Evoy; here's the paper for you; plenty of news in it, too, about
Mister O'Connell and the meetings in Dublin. If Cavanagh takes any fish,
buy a sole or a whiting for me, and send me the paper back."

'"There's a gentleman, inside here, was just asking for you, sir," said
the host.

'"Who is he? Is it Mr. Creagh? At your service, sir," said the old man,
sitting down on a chair near me, and looking at me from under the shadow
of his hand spread over his brow. "You 're Mr. Studdart, I 'm thinking?"

'"No, sir; I do not suspect you know me; and, indeed, I merely mentioned
your name as one I had heard of many years ago when I was here, but not
as being personally known to you."

'"Oh, troth, and so you might, for I 'm well known in these parts--eh,
Ned?" said he, with a chuckling cackle, that sounded very like hopeless
dotage. "I was in the army--in the 'Buffs'; maybe you knew one Clancy
who was in them?"

'"No, sir; I have not many military acquaintances. I