r purty mouth. Providence!
oh, how much we regard it, as if Providence took heed of what we do.
Go an' get me somethin' to put to this swellin', you had betther; or
if it's goin' to grow religious you are, be off out o' this; we'll have
none of your cant or pishthrougues here."

"What's this?" inquired Sarah, seating; herself on a three legged stool,
"the ould work, is it? bell-cat, bell-dog. Ah, you're a blessed pair an'
a purty pair, too; you, wid your swelled face an' blinkin' eye. Arrah,
what dacent man gave you that? An' you," she added, turning to her
step-mother, "wid your cheeks poulticed, an' your eye blinkin' on the
other side--what a pair o' beauties you are, ha! ha! ha! I wouldn't be
surprised if the divil an' his mother fell in consate wid you both!--ha!
ha!"

"Is that your manners, afther spendin' the night away wid yourself?"
asked her father, angrily. "Instead of stealin' into the house
thremblin' wid fear, as you ought to be, you walk in wid your brazen
face, ballyraggin' us like a Hecthor."

"Devil a taste I'm afeard," she replied, sturdily; "I did nothin' to be
afeard or ashamed of, an' why should I?"

"Did you see Mr. Hanlon on your travels, eh?"

"You needn't say eh about it," she replied, "to be sure I did; it was to
meet him that I went to the dance; I have no saicrets."

"Ah, you'll come to a good end yet, I doubt," said her father.

"Sure she needn't be afeard of Providence, any how," observed his wife.

"To the divil wid you, at all events," he replied; "if you're not off
out o' that to get me somethin' for this swellin' I'll make it worse for
you."

"Ay, ay, I'll go," looking at him with peculiar bitterness, "an wid the
help of the same Providence that you laugh at, I'll take care that the
same roof won't cover the three of us long. I'm tired of this life, and
come or go what may, I'll look to my sowl an' lead it no longer.

"Do you mane to break our hearts?" he replied, laughing; "for sure we
couldn't do less afther her, Sally; eh, ha! ha! ha! Before you lave us,
anyhow," he added, "go and get me some Gaiharrawan roots to bring down
this swellin'; I can't go to the Grange wid sich a face as this on me."

"You'll have a blacker an' a worse one on the day of judgment," replied
Nelly, taking up an old spade as she spoke, and proceeding to look for
the Casharrawan (Dandelion) roots he wanted.

When she had gone, the prophet, assuming that peculiar sweetness of
manner, for which he w