egay over it at the place where he heard the grunting of
their pigs, who on that occasion fared almost as delicately as Marvel's
rose-lined fawn.

It was early still when he reached his cabin, one in the Walshes' row;
and he sat down listlessly on a bank, to wait for nothing in particular.
Presently Mrs. Walsh, senior, came by with a twinkling can of water.
"Och, there you are, Joe," she said: "Nelly's been lookin' out for you
this good while."

"Whethen it's quare lookin' out she had," said Joe, "and she took off
wid herself to ould Annie Cassidy--bad manners to her for her
interfarin'."

"What's the lad talkin' about at all?" said Mrs. Walsh, standing amazed;
"Nelly's widin there this instiant of time, readyin' herself up."

"Maybe you'll tell me," said Joe, "that I didn't see her streelin' down
the Junction lane afore I was lavin' Kellys'."

"And maybe _you_'ll tell _me_," said Nelly's grandmother, "that she
wasn't just now callin' to me they were wantin' wather. It's a fine bawl
she'd ha' had to let out of her, if I was to be hearin' her, and she up
beyond Kellys'."

"There she was anyway," Joe said, doggedly. "Wouldn't I know that dad
fetched-lookin' ould new caubeen she's stuck on her a mile o' ground?"

"You great gomeral," said Mrs. Walsh. "If that's all you might aisy
enough ha' seen the big hat goin' the road--but have you the notion it's
growin' on Nelly's head? Why, you omadhawn, you hadn't quit ten minyits
last night, and Nelly was just after gettin' back, when who should come
by but poor Mad Bell. Och now the raggedy objick the crathur was, wid
nothin' over her misfort'nit head but an ould wisp as full of houles as
a fishin'-net. So little Larry sez, jokin' like, 'Look here, Nelly,'
sez he, 'you'd a right to be lettin' Mad Bell have a loan of your grand
nappy hat to keep the sun out of her eyes.' But belike Nelly'd took a
turn agin the thing wid the way they'd all been makin' fun of it; for
sez she, 'Will you have it, Bell?' sez she, houldin' it out to her. And
if she did, Mad Bell grabbed it in her two hands--it's not often she'll
have a word for anybody--and no more talk about it, but cocked it on,
and tied it firm under her chin wid the sthramers, as tasty as you
plase. Musha good gracious, to see the len'th she drew the bow out on
aich side of her bit of a yeller face, and the nod she gave her ould
head when she'd got it done. So that's what's gone wid the hat. Goodness
guide us, if she wasn't