father
disappeared, and fifteen years had gone since then.

One on either side of the old man, they went with him up the hillside
for about three hundred yards, to the door of his house, which was
little more than a cave in a sudden lift of the hill. He swayed as he
walked, but by the time they reached his cave-house he was alert again.

The house had two windows, one on either side of the unlocked doorway;
and when the old man slowly swung the door open, there was shown an
interior of humble character, but neat and well-ordered. The floor was
earth, dry and clean. There was a bed to the right, also wholesome and
dry, with horse-blankets for cover. At the back, opposite the doorway,
was a fireplace of some size, and in it stood a kettle, a pot, and a
few small pans, together with a covered saucepan. On either side of
the fireplace was a three-legged stool, and about the middle of the
left-hand wall of the room was a chair which had been made out of a
barrel, some of the staves having been sawn away to make a seat.

Once inside the house, Christopher Dogan laid his bag on the bed and
waved his hands in a formula of welcome.

"Well, I'm honoured," he said, "for no one has set foot inside this
place that I'd rather have here than the two of ye; and it's wonderful
to me, Mr. Calhoun, that ye've never been inside it before, because
there's been times when I've had food and drink in plenty. I could have
made ye comfortable then and stroked ye all down yer gullet. As for you,
Miss Llyn, you're as welcome as the shining of the stars of a night when
there's no moon. I'm glad you're here, though I've nothing to give ye,
not a bite nor sup. Ah, yes--but yes," he suddenly cried, touching his
head. "Faith, then, I have! I have a drap of somethin' that's as good
as annything dhrunk by the ancient kings of Ireland. It's a wee cordial
that come from the cellars of the Bishop of Dunlany, when I cured his
cook of the evil-stone that was killing her. Ah, thank God!"

He went into a corner on the left of the fireplace, opened an old jar,
thrust his arm down, and drew out a squat little bottle of cordial. The
bottle was beautifully made. It was round and hunched, and of glass,
with an old label from which the writing had faded.

With eyes bright now, Christopher uncorked the bottle and smelled the
contents. As he did so, a smile crinkled his face.

"Thank the Lord! There's enough for the two of ye--two fine
tablespoonfuls of the cord