g-hole, without saying a word to no
one about it, Father John?"

"Ah, you're a nice boy, Denis,--and why did you pass my gate to come
all the way down to Father Cullen, to tell him the dreadful tale? why
didn't you come to me, eh--when you knew, not only that I was nearer
you than Mr. Cullen, but also nearer to the place where all this was
to happen?"

"Why then, Father John, not to tell you a lie, it is because you do
be going on with your gagging at me so."

"Nonsense, man;--how can you say you are not going to lie, when you
know you've a lie in your mouth at the moment."

"Sorrow a lie is there in it at all, Father John,--I wish the tongue
of me had been blistered this morning, before I said a word of it."

"I wish it had been. Why, Cullen, it was only last night that he
wanted to persuade me that a lot of boys were to meet at the place
where he was married, to agree to murder Ussher; and to hear the man,
you'd think it was all arranged, who was to strike the blow and all;
and now here he is with you, with a similar story about Keegan! He
was afraid to come to me, because he knew he'd half humbugged me with
his other story last night."

"But I tell you, Father John, I heard it all with my own ears this
time."

"And I tell you, you were dreaming. Do you think you'd make me
believe that such a young gentleman as Mr. Thady would turn murderer
all of a sudden? Now go home, and take my advice; if you don't
want to find yourself in a worse scrape than Captain Ussher, or Mr.
Keegan, don't repeat such a tale as that to any one."

McGovery sneaked off with his tail, allegorically speaking, between
his legs. He didn't exactly know what to make of it; for though, as
has been before said, he did not wish on this occasion to make Father
John the depositary of his fears, he did not expect even from him
to meet with such total discomfiture. He consoled himself, however,
with the recollection that if anything did happen now, either to
the revenue officer or the attorney,--and he almost hoped there
would,--he could fairly say that he had given warning and premonitory
tidings of it to the parish priests, which, if attended to, might
have prevented all harm. With this comfortable feeling, to atone for
Father John's displeasure, and now not quite sure whether he had
overheard any allusion last night to Keegan and a bog-hole or not, he
returned to his wife.

As soon as he was gone, Cullen, as much surprised as McGovery at the