"By gor," said the latter, "I wanted that; an' I tell you that's not
bad work. Why, Mr. Thady--"

"Have done with your Misthers, Corney," said Joe, in a whisper, "let
them find out who he is theyselves. They'll know soon enough, divil
doubt them! there's no good telling them yet, any how."

"That's thrue, Joe; but as I was saying, that's not bad work; why,
Mr. Thady--"

"Sorrow saze yer tongue, thin, ye born idiot!"

"Well, by dad, it comes so natural to me, Joe, to call him by his
own name, that one can't help it; but it war only four o'clock
when we left this, this blessed afthernoon--that is, yesterday
afthernoon--an' since that we wor down at Mulready's, an' then at
Drumleesh, an' now we're here agin; why how many miles is that?"

"Niver mind the miles; he"--and Joe pointed to Thady--"he has done a
deal more than that in the same time--an' whatever comes of it, he
did a good deed. Howsomever, if you'll take my advice, you'll take a
stretch now. Meg!--I say, Meg,"--and he turned round to the girl who
was lying in the corner--"get out of that, an' make room for this man
to lie down. You've been asleep all night; make room for yer betthers
now."

The girl, without grumbling, turned out of bed, and burthened with no
feeling of conventional modesty, commenced and finished her toilet,
by getting into an old ragged calico gown, and tying up, with a bit
of antique tape, her long rough locks which had escaped from their
bondage during her sleep. Thady for a long time resisted, but Joe at
last was successful in persuading him to take advantage of the bed
which Meg had so good-humouredly relinquished.

"I an' Corney have still-work to do afore daylight, an' we won't be
back afore it's night," said Joe, "but do you bide here, an' you'll
be safe. You must put up with the pratees this day, for there's
nothing better in it at all; but I'll be getting something fitter for
you by night; an' av' you feel low, which you'll be doing when you
wakes, mind, there's the sperrits in the jar there undher the bed; a
sup of it won't hurt you now an' agin, for indeed you'll be wanting
it, by yerself here all day. An' look you,"--and he led him to the
door as he spoke, and pointed to the two within--"they'll soon know
who you are, an' all about it; but you needn't be talking to them,
you know; an' you may be quite certain, that even should any one
be axing about you, they'll niver 'peach, or give the word to the
police, or any one el