and his song. When quite happy Battersleigh always sang, and
very often his song was the one he was singing now, done in a low
nasal, each verse ending, after the vocal fashion of his race, with a
sudden uplift of a sheer octave, as thus:

"I-I-I-'d dance li-i-i-ke a fa-a-a-iree-ee-ee,
For to see ould Dunlear-e-e-_e-e-e_!
I-I-I-'d think twi-i-i-ice e-e-e-r-r I-I-I-'d lave it,
For to be-e-e-e-e a drag-_o-o-n_."

Franklin chuckled at the reminiscent music as he stepped in and said
good morning. "You seem in fine fettle this morning, friend," said he.
"Very fine, for an old man."

Battersleigh squared around and looked at him soberly. "Ned," said he,
"ye're a dethractor of innycince. Batty ould! Listen to me, boy!
It's fifty years younger I am to-day than when I saw ye last. I'm
younger than ye ivver saw me in all your life before."

"And what and where was the fountain?" said Franklin, as he seated
himself at his desk.

"The one fountain of all on earth, me boy--Succiss--succiss! The two
dearest things of life are Succiss and Revinge. I've found thim both.
Shure, pfwhat is that gives one man the lofty air an' the overlookin'
eye, where another full his ekil in inches fears to draw the same
breath o' life with him? Succiss, succiss, me boy! Some calls it
luck, though most lays it to their own shupayrior merit. For Batty, he
lays it to nothin' whativver, but takes it like a philosopher an' a
gintleman."

"Well, I suppose you don't mind my congratulating you on your success,
whatever it may be," said Franklin, as he began to busy himself about
his work at the desk. "You're just a trifle mysterious, you know."

"There's none I'd liever have shake me by the hand than yoursilf, Ned,"
said Battersleigh, "the more especially by this rayson, that ye've
nivver believed in ould Batty at all, but thought him a visionary
schamer, an' no more. Didn't ye, now, Ned; on your honour?"

"No," said Franklin stoutly. "I've always known you to be the best
fellow in the world."

"Tut, tut!" said Battersleigh. "Ye're dodgin' the issue, boy. But
pfwhat wud ye say now, Ned, if I should till ye I'd made over tin
thousand pounds of good English money since I came to this little town?"

"I should say," said Franklin calmly, as he opened an envelope, "that
you had been dreaming again."

"That's it! That's it!" cried Battersleigh. "Shure ye wud, an' I knew
it! But come with me to bank this mornin' an' I'll