her,
or put it in any man's power to hurt her character. At any rate, by
following my advice, you'll find how the land lies."

"But you see, Father John, she mightn't exactly mind what I say.
Feemy has had so much of her own way, and up to this I haven't looked
after her ways,--not so much as I should, perhaps; though, for the
matter of that there's been little need, I believe; but she's been
left to herself, and if she got cross upon me when I spoke of Ussher,
it would only be making ill blood between us. I'd sooner a deal be
speaking to Captain Ussher."

"Nonsense, Thady; do you mean to say you are afraid to speak to your
sister when you see the necessity? By speaking to Captain Ussher you
mean quarrelling with him, and that's not what'll do Feemy any good."

"Well, then, I'm sure, I'll do anything you tell me, Father John; but
if she don't mind me, will you speak to her?"

"Of course I will, Thady, if you wish it; but go and see her now at
once, while it's on your mind, and though Feemy may be a little
headstrong, I think you'll find her honest with you."

"I'll tell you another thing, Father John; father is so taken up with
Ussher, and--to out with it at once--he's trying to borrow a thrifle
of money from him; not that that should stand in my way, but the ould
man gets obstinate, you know."

"Oh, then, that'd be very bad, Thady; why doesn't he go to his
natural friends for money, and not to be borrowing it of a false
friend and a stranger?"

"Nathural friends! and who is his nathural friends! Is it Flannelly,
and Hyacinth Keegan? I tell you what it is, Father John, Feemy and
her father and I won't have the roof over our heads shortly, with
such nathural friends as we have. God knows where I'm to make out the
money by next November, even let alone what's to come after."

"Anything better than borrowing from Ussher, my boy; but sure, bad as
the time is, the rints more than pay Flannelly's interest money, any
how."

"I wish you had to collect them then, Father John, and then you'd see
how plentiful they are; besides, little as is spent, or as there is
to spend up above there, we can't live altogether for nothing."

"No, Thady, the Lord knows we can none of us do that--and, tell the
truth now, only I stopped the words in your throat about poor Feemy's
business, weren't you just going to be dunning me for the bit of
rent? out with it now."

"It's little heart I have now to be saying to you what I was going