a delightful one; we might add to it a sort of literary
pilgrimage to the homes and haunts of Ireland's famous writers."

"I didn't know that she had any," interrupted Francesca.

This is a favourite method of conversation with that spoiled young
person; it seems to appeal to her in three different ways: she likes
to belittle herself, she likes to shock Salemina, and she likes to have
information given her on the spot in some succinct, portable, convenient
form.

"Oh," she continued apologetically, "of course there are Dean Swift and
Thomas Moore and Charles Lever."

"And," I added "certain minor authors named Goldsmith, Sterne, Steele,
and Samuel Lover."

"And Bishop Berkeley, and Brinsley Sheridan, and Maria Edgeworth, and
Father Prout," continued Salemina, "and certain great speech-makers like
Burke and Grattan and Curran; and how delightful to visit all the places
connected with Stella and Vanessa, and the spot where Spenser wrote the
Faerie Queene."

"'Nor own a land on earth but one,
We're Paddies, and no more,'"

sang Francesca. "You will be telling me in a moment that Thomas Carlyle
was born in Skereenarinka, and that Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet
in Coolagarranoe," for she had drawn the guidebook toward her and made
good use of it. "Let us do the literary pilgrimage, certainly, before
we leave Ireland, but suppose we begin with something less intellectual.
This is the most pugnacious map I ever gazed upon. All the names seem
to begin or end with kill, bally, whack, shock, or knock; no wonder the
Irish make good soldiers! Suppose we start with a sanguinary trip to the
Kill places, so that I can tell any timid Americans I meet in travelling
that I have been to Kilmacow and to Kilmacthomas, and am going to-morrow
to Kilmore, and the next day to Kilumaule."

"I think that must have been said before," I objected.

"It is so obvious that it's not unlikely," she rejoined; "then let
us simply agree to go afterwards to see all the Bally places from
Ballydehob on the south to Ballycastle or Ballymoney on the north,
and from Ballynahinch or Ballywilliam on the east to Ballyvaughan or
Ballybunnion on the west, and passing through, in transit,

Ballyragget,
Ballysadare,
Ballybrophy,
Ballinasloe,
Ballyhooley,
Ballycumber,
Ballyduff,
Ballynashee,
Ballywhack.

Don't they all sound jolly and grotesque?"

"They do indeed," we agreed, "and the plan