s hour."

She then bowed to him with more formality than she had probably ever
used, and proceeded home at a quicker pace.

She had just turned an angle of the road, and got consequently out of
sight, when he heard a strong, but sweet and mellow voice singing the
fine old Irish song of the Cannie Soogah, or Jolly Pedlar; and, on
looking behind him, he perceived that worthy person approaching him at a
tolerably rapid pace. The pedlar had no sooner glanced at M'Carthy than
he grasped his tremendous cudgel with greater firmness, and putting
his hand into his breast, he pulled out a pistol, and with these
preparations approached our friend, still continuing his song, with the
same careless glee, and an utter absence of all fear.

"'I' m the rantin' cannie soogah'--

"God save you, neighbor! you forgot to wash your face this mornin'."

"That's its natural color," replied M'Carthy, willing, now that he
was out of all danger, to have a banter with his well-known friend the
pedlar.

"If you take my advice then," said the pedlar, "you'll paint it
white--it's a safer color in daylight at any rate. I'm thinkin' now, that
if you met a party of peelers on pathrole, they might give you a resate
for turnin' the same color red and white; however, _glunthoma_, (* Hear
me) if you have any design upon the Cannie Soogah, I can only tell you
that I never carry money about me, and even if I did, I have a couple
o' friends here that 'ud standby me; ay, in throth, three o' them, for
I have brother to this fellow (showing the pistol) asleep in my breast
here, and he doesn't like to be wakened, you persave; so whoever you
are, jog on and wash your face, as I said, and that's a friend's advice'
to you."

"Why, Cannie Soogah, is it possible you don't know me?"

"Throth I've been just thinkin' that I heard the voice before, but when
or where is more than I can tell."

"Not know your friend Francis M'Carthy?"

"Eh, Mr. Francis M'Carthy! and, Lord o' life, Mr. M'Carthy, how do
you come to have a black face? Surely you wouldn't belong to this
business--black business I may call it--that's goin'?"

"Well, I should hope not, Cannie; but, for all that, you see me with a
black face--ha!--ha!--ha!"

"I do indeed, Mr. Frank, and, between you and me, I'm sorry to see it."

"You will not be sorry to hear, however, that my black face saved my
life last night."

"Arra thin, how was that, sir, if it's a fair question?"

M'Carthy then gave