he's the man ye think he is wudn't she be the better
quit av him?"

The lawyer had reached the limit of his patience.

"Well, well, Mrs. Fitzpatrick, we will leave the wife alone.
But what of his treatment of the children?"

"The childer?" exclaimed Mrs. Fitzpatrick,--"the childer, is it?
Man dear, but he's the thrue gintleman an' the tinder-hearted
father fer his childer, an' so he is."

"Oh, indeed, Mrs. Fitzpatrick. I am sure we shall all be delighted
to hear this. But you certainly have strange views of a father's
duty toward his children. Now will you tell the court upon what
ground you would extol his parental virtues?"

"Faix, it's niver a word I've said about his parental virtues,
or any other kind o' virtues. I was talkin' about his childer."

"Well, then, perhaps you would be kind enough to tell the court
what reason you have for approving his treatment of his children?"

Mrs. Fitzpatrick's opportunity had arrived. She heaved a great
sigh, and with some deliberation began.

"Och! thin, an' it's just terrible heart-rendin' an' so it is.
An' it's mesilf that can shpake, havin' tin av me own, forby
three that's dead an' gone, God rest their sowls! an' four that's
married, an' the rest all doin' well fer thimsilves. Indade, it's
mesilf that has the harrt fer the childer. You will be havin'
childer av yer own," she added confidentially to the lawyer.

A shout of laughter filled the court room, for Staunton was a
confirmed and notorious old bachelor.

"I have the bad fortune, Mrs. Fitzpatrick, to be a bachelor,"
he replied, red to the ears.

"Man dear, but it's hard upon yez, but it's Hivin's mercy fer yer wife."

The laughter that followed could with difficulty be suppressed by
the court crier.

"Go on, Mrs. Fitzpatrick, go on with your tale," said Staunton,
who had frankly joined in the laugh against himself.

"I will that," said Mrs. Fitzpatrick with emphasis. "Where was I?
The man an' his childer. Sure, I'll tell Yer 'Anner." Here she
turned to the judge. "Fer he," with a jerk of her thumb towards the
lawyer, "knows nothin' about the business at all, at all. It was
wan night he came to me house askin' to see his childer. The night
o' the dance, Yer 'Anner. As I was sayin', he came to me house
where the childer was, askin' to see thim, an' him without a look
o' thim fer years. An' did they know him?" Mrs. Fitzpatrick's voice
took a tragic tone. "Not a hair av thim. Not at the first. Ah, but
it