he was not himself the direct
recipient of the bribes, and also anxious to win favor in the widow's
eyes, took the charge against Mr. Gray, who was very soon locked
up, with the "miscellanies," in the black hole, until bail could be
procured.

On finding that matters had gone against him, Gray, who, although
unaffected in speech, was yet rather tipsy, assumed a look of singular
importance, as if to console himself for the degradation he was about to
undergo; he composed his face into an expression that gave a ludicrous
travesty of dignity.

"Well," said he, with a solemn swagger, nodding his head from side
to side as he spoke, in order to impress what he uttered with a more
mysterious emphasis--"you are all acting in ignorance, quite so; little
you know who the person is that's before you; but it doesn't signify--I
am somebody, at all events."

"A gentleman in disguise," said a voice from the black hole. "You'll
find some of your friends here."

"You are right, my good fellow--you are perfectly right;" said Ambrose,
nodding with drunken gravity, as before; "high blood runs in my veins,
and time will soon tell that; I shall stand and be returned for the town
of Ballytrain, as soon as there comes a dissolution; I'm bent on that."

"Bravo! hurra! a very proper member you'll make for it," from the black
hole.

"And I shall have the Augean stables of these corrupt offices swept of
their filth. Ned, the scoundrel, shall be sent to the right about; Mr.
Darby, for his honesty, shall have each wrist embraced by a namesake."

Here he was shoved by Garvy, the watchman, head foremost into the black
hole, after having received an impulse from behind, kindly intended to
facilitate his ingress, which, notwithstanding his drunken ambition,
the boast of his high blood, and mighty promises, was made with
extraordinary want of dignity.

Although we have described this scene nearly in consecutive order,
without the breaks and interruptions which took place whilst it
proceeded, yet the reader should imagine to himself the outrage, the
yelling, the clamor, the by-battles, and scurrilous contests in the
lowest description of blackguardism with which it was garnished; thus
causing it to occupy at least four times the period we have ascribed
to it. The simple-minded priest, who could never have dreamt of such an
exhibition, scarcely knew whether he was asleep or awake, and sometimes
asked himself whether it was not some terrible phant