e."

In despair of his long tongue I made try to change the talking.

"We are off for London, Paddy. How are you for it?"

"London, is it?" said he warily. "I was hearing there are many fine
ladies there."

For the second time in his life I cuffed him soundly on the ear.

"Now," said I, "be ringing the bell. I am for buying you a bit of
drink; but if you mention the gentry to me once more in that
blackguard way I'll lather you into a resemblance to your
grandfather's bones."

After a pleasant evening I retired to bed leaving Paddy snug asleep by
the fire. I thought much of my Lady Mary, but with her mother stalking
the corridors and her knowing father with his eye wide open, I knew
there was no purpose in hanging about a Bath inn. I would go to
London, where there were gardens, and walks in the park, and parties,
and other useful customs. There I would win my love.

The following morning I started with Paddy to meet Jem Bottles and
travel to London. Many surprising adventures were in store for us, but
an account of these I shall leave until another time, since one would
not be worrying people with too many words, which is a great fault in
a man who is recounting his own affairs.

CHAPTER XV

As we ambled our way agreeably out of Bath, Paddy and I employed
ourselves in worthy speech. He was not yet a notable horseman, but his
Irish adaptability was so great that he was already able to think he
would not fall off so long as the horse was old and tired.

"Paddy," said I, "how would you like to be an Englishman? Look at
their cities. Sure, Skibbereen is a mud-pond to them. It might be fine
to be an Englishman."

"I would not, your honour," said Paddy. "I would not be an Englishman
while these grand--But never mind; 'tis many proud things I will say
about the English considering they are our neighbours in one way; I
mean they are near enough to come over and harm us when they wish. But
any how they are a remarkable hard-headed lot, and in time they may
come to something good."

"And is a hard head such a qualification?" said I.

Paddy became academic. "I have been knowing two kinds of hard heads,"
he said. "Mickey McGovern had such a hard skull on him no stick in the
south of Ireland could crack it, though many were tried. And what
happened to him? He died poor as a rat. 'Tis not the kind of hard head
I am meaning. I am meaning the kind of hard head which believes it
contains all the wisdom and honou