a purty woman not to stamp some of
their names upon her. Not that you have a married look, either, any more
than myself; you're too fresh for that, now that I look at you again."

A certain cloud, which, as Dandy could perceive, was beginning to darken
her countenance, suggested the quick turn of his last observation. The
countenance, however, cleared again, and she replied, "It is my name,
and what is more, I never changed it. I was hard to plaise--and I am
hard to plaise, and ever an' always had a dread of gettin' into bad
company, especially when I knew that the same bad company was to last
for life."

"An ould maid, by the Rock of Cashel," said Dandy, to himself.

"Blood alive, I wondher has she money; but here goes to thry. Ah,
Nancy," he proceeded, "you wor too hard to plaise; and now, that you
have got money like myself, nothing but a steady man, and a full purse,
will shoot your convanience--isn't that pure gospel, now, you good
lookin' thief?"

Nancy's face was now like a cloudless sky. "Well," she replied, "maybe
there's truth in that, and maybe there's not; but I hope you are takin'
care of yourself? That's what I always did and ever will, plaise God.
How do you like the ham?"

"Divil a so well dressed a bit o' ham ever I ett--it melts into one's
mouth like a kiss from a purty woman. Troth, Nancy, I think I'm kissing
you ever since I began to ait it."

"Get out," said Nancy, laughing; "troth, you're a quare one; but you
know our Wickla' hams is famous."

"And so is your Wicklow girls," replied Dandy; "but for my part, I'd
sooner taste their lips than the best hams that ever were ett any day."

"Well, but," said Nancy, "did you ever taste our bacon? bekaise, if
you didn't, lave off what you're at, and in three skips I'll get you
a rasher and eggs that'll make you look nine ways at once. Here, throw
that by, it's could, and I'll get you something hot and comfortable."

"Go on," replied Dandy; "I hate idleness. Get the eggs and rasher you
spake of, and while you're doin' it I'll thry and amuse myself wid
what's before me. Industhry's the first of virtues, Nancy, and next to
that comes perseverance; I defy you in the mane time to do a rasher as
well as you did this ham--hoeh--och--och. God bless me, a bit was near
stickin' in my throat. Is your wather good here? and the raison why I
ax you is, that I'm the devil to plaise in wather; and on that account
I seldom take it without a sup o' spirits to dilut