e, in the course of a few years,
a _bona fide_ priest; to possess unlimited sway over the fears and
principles of the people; to be endowed with spiritual gifts to he knew
not what extent; and to enjoy himself as he had an opportunity of
seeing Father Finnerty and his curate do, in the full swing of convivial
pleasure, upon the ample hospitality of those who, in addition to this,
were ready to kiss the latchet of his shoes--were, it must be admitted,
no inconsiderable motives in influencing the conduct of a person reared
in an humble condition of life. The claims of poor Susan, her modesty,
her attachment, and her beauty--were all insufficient to prevail against
such a host of opposing motives; and the consequence, though bitter, and
subversive of her happiness, was a final determination on the part of
Denny, to acquaint her, with a kind of _ex-officio_ formality, that
all intercourse upon the subject of their mutual attachment must cease
between them. Notwithstanding his boasted knowledge, however, he was
ignorant of sentiment, and accordingly confined himself, as I have
intimated, to a double species of argument; that is to say, first, the
danger and sin of opposing the wishes of the church which had claimed
him, as he said, to labor in the vineyard; and secondly, the undoubted
fact, that there were plenty of good husbands besides himself in the
world, from some one of which, he informed her, he had no doubt, she
could be accommodated.

In the meantime, her image, meek, and fair, and uncomplaining, would
from time to time glide into his imagination; and the melody of her
voice send its music once more to his vaccillating heart. He usually
paused then, and almost considered himself under the influence of a
dream; but ambition, with its train of shadowy honors, would immediately
present itself, and Susan was again forgotten.

When he rejoined the company, to whom he had given the slip, he found
them all gone, except about six or eight whom his father had compelled
to stop for dinner. His mind was now much lighter than it had been
before his interview with Susan, nor were his spirits at all depressed
by perceiving that a new knife and fork lay glittering upon the dresser
for his own particular use.

"Why, thin, where have you been all this time," said the father, "an' we
wantin' to know whether you'd like the mutton to be boiled or roasted!"

"I was soliloquizing in the glen below," replied Denny, once more
assuming