el that
you'll soon be in a worse stocks yourself than ever you put any poor
craythur into," replied the redoubtable Jemmy. "Do you be off about
your business, in the mane time, you good-natured vagabone, or this ould
fire-brand will get some one wid less conscience than I have, that'll
clap you in them."

"Never mind, father," observed the son; "let the fellow go about his
business--he's not worth your resentment."

The pedlar took the hint and withdrew, accompanied by Jemmy, on whose
face there was a grin of triumph that he could not conceal.

"I tould you," he added, as they went down the steps, "that the same
stocks was afore you; an' in the mane time, God pardon me for the
injustice I did in keepin' you out o' them."

"Go on," replied the other; "devila harsh word ever I'll say to you
again."

"Throth will you," said Jemmy; "an' both of us will be as fresh as a
daisy in the mornin', plaise goodness. I have scarcely any one to abuse
me, or to abuse, either, now that the ould masther is so feeble."

Jemmy extended his hand as he spoke, and gave the pedlar a squeeze, the
cordiality of which was strongly at variance with the abuse he had given
him.

"God bless you!" said the pedlar, returning the pressure; "your bark is
worse than your bite. I'm off now, to mention the reception they gave
me and the answers I got, to a man that will, maybe, bring themselves to
their marrow-bones afore long."

"Ay, but don't abuse them, for all that," replied Jemmy, "for I won't
bear it."

"Throth," returned the other, "you're a quare Jemmy--an' so God bless
you!"

Having uttered these words, in an amicable and grateful spirit, our
friend the pedlar bent his steps to the head inn of the next town--being
that of the assizes, where Mr. Travers, the agent, kept his office.

CHAPTER XXVII. -- Sarah Ill--Mave Again, Heroic.

Young Henderson, whose passion for Mave Sullivan was neither virtuous
nor honorable, would not have lent himself, notwithstanding, to the
unprincipled projects of the Prophet, had not that worthy personage
gradually and dishonestly drawn him into a false position. In other
words, he led the vain and credulous young man to believe that Mave had
been seized with a secret affection for him, and was willing, provided
everything was properly managed, to consent to an elopement. For this
purpose, it was necessary that the plan should be executed without
violence, as the Prophet well knew, because, on so