ept I leave him
payment for it?'"

"Did he say that, Phaddhy?"

"I'm giving you his very words, yer Reverence."

"Phaddhy, I deny it; it's a big lie--he could not make much use of such
words, and he going to face death. I say you could not listen to them;
the hair would stand on your head if he did; but God forgive him--that's
the worst I wish him. Didn't the hair stand on your head, Phaddhy, to
hear him?"

"Why, then, to tell yer Reverence God's truth, I can't say it did."

"You can't say it did! and if I was in your coat, I would be ashamed to
say it did not. I was always troubled about the way the fellow died,
but I hadn't the slightest notion: that he went off such a reprobate. I
fought his battle and yours hard enough yesterday; but I knew less about
him than I do now."

"And what, wid submission, did you fight our battles about, yer
Reverence?" inquired Phaddhy.

"Yesterday evening, in Parrah More Slevin's, they had him a miser, and
yourself they set down as very little better."

"Then I don't think I desarved that from Parrah More, anyhow, Father
Philemy; I think I can show myself as dacent as Parrah More or any of
his faction."

"It was not Parrah More himself, nor his family, that said anything
about you, Phaddhy," said the priest, "but others that were present. You
must know that we were all to be starved here to-day."

"Oh! ho!" exclaimed Phaddhy, who was hit most palpably upon the weakest
side--the very sorest spot about him, "they think bekase this is the
first station that ever was held in my house, that you won't be thrated
as you ought; but they'll be disappointed; and I hope, for so far, that
yer Reverence and yer friends had no rason to complain."

"Not in the least, Phaddhy, considering that it was a first station; and
if the dinner goes as well off as the breakfast, they'll be biting their
nails: but I should not wish myself that they would have it in their
power to sneer or throw any slur over you about it.--Go along, Dolan,"
exclaimed his Reverence to a countryman who came in from the street,
where those stood who were for confession, to see if he had gone to his
room--"Go along, you vagrant, don't you see I'm not gone to the tribunal
yet?--But it's no matter about that, Phaddhy, it's of other things you
ought to think: when were you at your duty?"

"This morning, sir," replied the other--"but I'd have them to
understand, that had the presumption to use my name in any such manner,
t