parsecuting them that way,
an' puttin' his brother in gaol, whilst the masthur wouldn't rise
a finger, barrin' for the rint, the sooner he an' his were off
the estate, the betther he'd like it; for Joe sed he'd not be
fightin' agin his own masthur, but whin you war not his masthur any
more,--then let every one look to hisself."

Whilst Brady was giving this short _expose_ of the feelings displayed
at the little whiskey shop in Mohill on the previous fair day, young
Macdermot was pulling hard at the dhudheen, as if trying to hide his
embarrassment in smoke. Brady paused for some time, and then added,

"Joe mostly leads those boys up at Drumleesh, an' hard to lead they
are; I'm thinking Captain Ussher, with all his revenue of peelers an'
his guns, may meet his match there yit. They'll hole him, av he goes
on much farthur, as shure as my name's Pat."

"They'll get the worst of that, Brady--not that I care a thrawneen
for him and his company. It's true for you; he is persecuting
them too far; what with revenue police, constabulary police, and
magistrates' warrants, they won't let them walk to mass quietly next.
I didn't care what they did to Master Myles, but they'd have the
worst of it in the end."

"And it's little you ought to care for the same Captain, Misthur
Thady, av you heard all. It's little he's making of Miss Feemy's
name with the police captain, and the young gauger, and young James
Fitzsimon, when they're over there at Ballinamore together--and
great nights they have of it too; though they all have it in Mohill
he's to marry Miss Feemy. If so, indeed! but then isn't he a black
Protestant, sorrow take them for Protestants! There's Hyacinth Keegan
calls himself a Protestant now; his father warn't ashamed of the ould
religion, when he sarved processes away to Drumshambo."

"And what wor the gentlemen saying about Feemy, Pat?"

"Oh, yer honor, how could I know what gentlemin is saying over their
punch, together? only they do be sayin' in Ballinamore, that the
Captain doesn't spake that dacently of Miss Feemy, as if they wor to
be man and wife: sorrow blister his tongue the day he'd say a bad
word of her!"

"Faith he'd better take care of himself, if it's my sister he's
playing his game with; he'll find out, though there aint much to be
got worth having at Ballycloran now, as long as there's a Macdermot
in it, he may still get the traitment a blackguard desarves, if he
plays his tricks with Feemy!"

Pat