ich he kept slung beneath his arm, like the bugle of a
coach-guard, only that this was generally concealed by an outside coat,
no two inches of which were of the same materials of color. Having taken
a tolerably large draught from this, which, by the "way, held near two
quarts, he handed it with a smack and a shrug to Frank, who immediately
gave it a wipe with the skirt of his coat, and pledged his companion.

"I'll be wantin'," observed Frank, "to see you in the hollydays--faith,
that stuff's to be christened yet, Darby--so don't go till we have a
dish o' discoorse about somethin' I'll mintion to you. As for Peggy
Gartland, I'm done wid her; she may marry ould Nick for me."

"Or you for ould Nick," said the cynic, "which would be nearly the
same thing: but go an, avick, an' never heed me; sure I must have my
spake--doesn't every body know Darby More?"

"I've nothin' else to say now," added Frank, "and you have my authority
to spread it as far as you plase. I'm done wid her: so good-night, an'
good _cuttin'_ (* May what's in it never fail) to your horn, Darby!--You
damn ould villian!" he subjoined in a low voice, when Darby had got out
of his hearing: "surely it's not in yourself, but in the blessed words
and things you have about you, that there is any good."

"Musha, good-night, Frank alanna," replied the other;--"an' the divil
sweep you, for a skamin' vagabone, that's a curse to the country, and
has kep me out o' more weddins than any one I ever met wid, by your
roguery in puttin' evil between frinds an' neighbors, jist whin they'd
be ready for the priest to say the words over them! Good won't come of
you, you profligate."

The last words were scarcely uttered by the sturdy mendicant, when
he turned round to observe whether or not Frank would stop at
Larry Gartland's, the father of the girl to whom he had hitherto
unsuccessfully avowed his attachment.

"I'd depind an him," said he, in a soliloquy, "as soon as I'd depind
upon ice of an hour's growth: an', whether or not, sure as I'm an my way
to Owen Reillaghan's, the father of the dacent boy that he's strivin' to
outdo, mayn't I as well watch his motions, any way?"

He accordingly proceeded along the shadowy side of the street, in order
to avoid Frank's eye, should he chance to look back, and quietly dodged
on until he fairly saw him enter the house.

Having satisfied himself that the object of Frank's visit to the
village was in some shape connected with Peg