for the same bad purpose,--for
the short stimulus of the dram was the only relief he could find to
the depression which seemed to weigh him down and make his heart feel
like a cold lump within him,--and just as he was turning from the
avenue to the back of the house, he met Ussher walking down. He did
not know what to do; he remembered that the evening before he had
defied this man; he even recollected that he had arrogantly declared
that he should not again set his foot on Ballycloran; he had forbad
him the house, as if he had been the master; and at the present
moment he felt as though he did not dare address him, for it seemed
to him as if every one now would look down on him, as he looked down
on himself,--as if every one could see what was in his breast, as
plainly as he saw it himself.

This annoyance, however, was of short duration, for Ussher passed him
with a slight unembarrassed nod, as if nothing had passed between
them on the previous evening--as if they were still good friends, and
had met and been talking together but a short time before. Ussher had
walked by quickly, and there was a look of satisfaction or rather
gratified vanity in his face; he seemed, also, absorbed with the
subject of his thoughts; Thady, however, as soon as he had passed,
took but little notice of him, but walked on into the kitchen, at the
rear of the house.

Here, on a small settle by the fireside, where he had been placed out
of the way by Biddy or Katty, sat a ragged bare-legged little boy,
known as Patsy, the priest's gossoon; he was the only assistant Judy
had in the management of Father John's _menage_. He ran on errands to
Drumsna, and occasionally to Carrick-on-Shannon--fetched the priest's
letters--dug his potatoes--planted his cabbages, and cleaned his
horse Paul. He had now come up to Ballycloran with a message to
Thady, and having been desired to stay there till he could see him
himself, he had been quietly sitting in the kitchen since a little
after Thady had first left the house; he now jumped up to give his
message.

"Misther Thady, yer honer, Father John says as how he'll be glad av
yer honer'll come down to dinner with him at six; and he says as how
you must come, Mr. Thady, because divil a bit he'll ate himself, he
says, till you're in it."

"For shame, Patsy!" interposed Biddy, "putting those words into his
riverence's mouth. I'm sure thin Father John wasn't cursing that
way."

"Faix thin, ma'am, thim wor h