r'd the plain.

"`Och! what shall I do now?
'Twas looking at you now;
Sure, sure, such a pitcher I'll ne'er meet again;
'Twas the pride of my dairy,
Och, Barney McCleary,
You're sent as a plague to the girls of Coleraine.'"

So Fitz ran on, verse after verse, and tune after tune, till he stopped
for want of breath.

Highly delighted, the old pikeman insisted on shaking us all round by
the hand, and then, running in, brought us out a glass of whisky each.
He was much surprised to find Denis and I declined taking it. Daley,
however, prevented his feelings being offended by singing another song.
Then Larry gave them a second tune on the fiddle, which pleased him
still more, and he set to work with Phil to put to rights the harness,
which had been considerably disarranged by the prancing of our steeds.

Then he exclaimed--

"Good luck to you. You'll give us some more tunes when you come back.
Off with you now. Success! success!"

Phil lashing on the horses, away we went, laughing heartily at our
adventure. We soon arrived at the castle, where we found the guests
rapidly assembling. I won't describe the ceremony. My brother and
Kathleen O'Brien were indissolubly united. No sooner was it over than
every one rushed forward to kiss the blushing bride, and then we all
heartily congratulated each other at the happy event. My mother took
charge of her new daughter-in-law, who cried a little, but, soon
recovering, looked as bright and blooming as any of her fair
bridesmaids.

Plum-cake and wine were then handed round, just to stay our appetites
till dinner was announced,--a substantial repast, to which all did good
justice. Then the ball commenced, the bride leading off the dance. It
was kept up, with an interval for a hot supper, until three or four in
the morning. It was lucky for me that Nora O'Flaherty, for some reason
or other, was not present, or I believe that in spite of my uncle's
advice I should have forgotten my poverty and confessed my love. But
there's luck in odd numbers, and there were so many charming girls
present that my heart was pretty evenly divided among them. The whole
of the guests were put up in the house,--and pretty close stowing it
was, but no one complained,--and, after a breakfast as substantial as
the supper, we set off to return home. We purposely went back by the
way we came, and greatly astonished the old pike-keeper by not only
paying him his toll, but treble t