do all day long?"

"Why then mostly nothing; I'm very old."

"And what does your daughter be doing?"

"Why then I don't rightly know; she's mostly out for Dan Kennedy."

"And where do you be getting the pratees?"

"'Deed I b'lieve Meg gets them mostly from Dan's garden."

"Who does Dan pay his rent to?"

"Why then I can't be saying."

It was useless carrying on a conversation any longer with such a
man. He neither interested himself about his house, his food, his
landlord, or his family, and Thady again held his tongue.

Soon after dusk Meg returned; she had in the folds of her gown a loaf
of bread and a very small piece of bacon, and it was evident to Thady
that whatever had become of Joe and the other, they had not forgotten
him or their promise to provide him with some better food than the
lumpers which sufficed for Andy McEvoy and his daughter.

When the old man saw the provisions his eyes glistened a little, and
he clutched the dirty quilt somewhat faster, and by the eagerness he
evinced for the food it was a relief to see that he had some human
feeling left. Meg boiled the bacon and some potatoes together, and
when they were ready, put them on the dirty deal table before Thady;
she did not seem much more communicative than her father, but she
asked him civilly if he would eat, and evidently knew he was of a
higher rank than those with whom she was accustomed to associate, for
she went through the ceremony of wiping the top of the table with the
tail of her gown. Thady eat a portion of what was given him; and as
he did so he saw the old man's greedy eyes glare on him, as he still
sat in his accustomed seat; it was quite horrible to see how greedy
and ravenous he appeared. Thady, however, left much more than he
consumed, and the girl carefully putting the bit of bread away, for
his breakfast in the morning, divided the remnant of the bacon with
her father.

Then the man's apathy and tranquillity vanished, and the voracity
with which he devoured the unaccustomed dainty showed that though he
might have no demon thoughts to rack his brain, the vulture in his
stomach tortured him as violently.

Joe Reynolds and Corney returned about an hour after dark, and
requested Thady to come out with them, which he did. They then told
him that it was necessary that he should now take the oath, which
they before warned him that he would have to take if he accompanied
them to their haunts at Aughacashel. He at first fe