and levelled it at the mark.

[Illustration: 265]

Kerry was on his knees, one hand on the floor and in the other the
bottle, which, despite all his efforts, he swayed backwards and
forwards.

"O master, darlin'--O Sir Archy, dear--O Joseph and Mary!"

"I've drank too much wine to hit it flying," said Mark, with a half
drunken laugh, "and the fool won't be steady. There;" and as he spoke,
the crash of the report resounded through the room, and the neck of the
bottle was snapped off about half an inch below the cork.

"Neatly done, Mark--not a doubt of it," said the O'Donoghue, as he took
the bottle from Kerry's hand, who, with a pace a kangaroo might have
envied, approached the table, actually dreading to stand up straight in
Mark's presence.

"At the risk of being thought an epicure," said M'Nab, "I maun say I'd
like my wine handled more tenderly."

"It was cleverly done though," said Talbot, helping himself to a bumper
from the broken flask. "I remember a trick we used to have at St. Cyr,
which was, to place a bullet on a cork, and then, at fifteen paces cut
away the cork and drop the bullet into the bottle."

"No man ever did that twice," cried Mark, rudely.

"I'll wager a hundred guineas I do it twice, within five shots," said
Talbot, with the most perfect coolness.

"Done, for a hundred--I say done," said Mark, slapping him familiarly on
the shoulder.

"I'll not win your money on such unfair terms," said Talbot, laughing,
"and if I can refrain from taking too much of this excellent Bourdeaux,
I'll do the trick to-morrow without a wager."

Mark, like most persons who place great store by feats of skill and
address, felt vexed at the superiority claimed by another, answered
carelessly, "that, after all, perhaps the thing were easier than it
seemed."

"Very true," chimed in Talbot, mildly; "what we have neither done
ourselves nor seen done by another, has always the appearance of
difficulty. What is called wisdom is little other than the power of
calculating success or failure on grounds of mere probability.

"Your definition has the advantage of being sufficient for the
occasion," said Sir Archy, smiling. "I am happy to find our glen has
not disappointed you; but if you have not seen the Lake and the Bay of
Glengariff, I anticipate even a higher praise from you."

"We spent the day on the water," replied Talbot; "and if it were not a
heresy, I should affirm, that these bold mountains are grander an