returned; and, having entered the hut, perceived that the ear and
cheek of her step-mother were still bleeding.

"I'm sorry for what I did," she said, with the utmost frankness and good
nature. "Forgive me, mother; you know I'm a hasty devil--for a devil's
limb I am, no doubt of it. Forgive me, I say--do now--here, I'll get
something to stop the blood."

She sprang at the moment, with the agility of a wild cat, upon an old
chest that stood in the corner of the hut, exhibiting as she did it, a
leg and foot of surpassing symmetry and beauty. By stretching herself
up to her full length, she succeeded in pulling down several old cobwebs
that had been for years in the corner of the wall; and in the act of
doing so, disturbed some metallic substance, which fell first upon the
chest, from which it tumbled off to the ground, where it made two or
three narrowing circles, and then lay at rest.

"Murdher alive, mother!" she exclaimed, "what is this? Hallo! a
tobaccy-box--a fine round tobaccy-box of iron, bedad--an what's this on
it!--let me see; two letthers. Wait till I rub the rust off; or stay,
the rust shows them as well. Let me see--P. an' what's the other? ay,
an' M. P. M.--arra, what can that be for? Well, devil may care! let it
lie on the shelf there. Here now--none of your cross looks, I say--put
these cobwebs to your face, an' they'll stop the bleedin'. Ha, ha,
ha!--well--ha, ha, ha!--but you are a sight to fall in love wid this
minute!" she exclaimed, laughing heartily at the blood-stained visage
of the other. "You won't spake, I see. Divil may care then, if you don't
you'll do the other thing--let it alone: but, at any rate, there's the
cobwebs for you, if you like to put them on; an' so _bannatht latht_,
an' let that be a warnin' to you not to raise your hand to me again.

'A sailor courted a farmer's daughter
That lived contageous to the isle of Man,'" &c.

She then directed her steps to the dance in Kilnahushogue, where one
would actually suppose, if mirth, laughter, and extraordinary buoyancy
of spirits could be depended on, that she was gifted, in addition to her
remarkable beauty, with the innocent and delightful disposition of an
angel.

The step-mother having dressed the wound as well as she could, sat down
by the fire and began to ruminate on the violent contest which had just
taken place, and in which she had borne such an unfortunate part. This
was the first open and determined act of person