y of his claiming it will be dependent upon the
fulfilment of your promise or _votum_.'

"'_Signatum et sigttlatum est_,' said he--for, indeed, the best part
of the discussion was conducted in Latin; 'and now,' he continued, 'my
excellent Dionysius, nothing remains but that the colt be presented--'

--"'Lent,' I responded, correcting him, 'you see, even although he was
the priest--'lent,' said I; 'and your Reverence will be good enough to
give the _votum_ before one or two of my friends.'

"He looked at me sharply, not expecting to find such deep logic in one
he conjectured to be but a tyro.

"'You will be a useful man in the church,' he added, 'and you deserve to
be pushed on at all events. In the meantime, tell your father that I'll
ride up and breakfast with him to-morrow, and he can have a friend or
two to talk over the _compactum_.'

"So, father, there's the state of the question at present; the
accomplishment of the condition is dependent upon yourself."

My readers may perceive that Denis, although a pedant, was not a fool.
It has been said that no man is a hero to his _valet-de-chambre_; but
I think the truth of the sentiment contained in that saying is
questionable. Denis, on the contrary, was nowhere so great a man as in
his own chimney-corner, surrounded by his family. It was there he was
learned, accomplished, profound; next to that, he was great among those
who, although not prejudiced in his favor by the bonds of affection,
were too ignorant to discover those literary pranks which he played off,
because he knew he could do so without detection. The basis, however, of
his character was shrewd humor and good sense; and even at the stage of
life which we have just described, it might have been evident to a close
observer that, when a proper knowledge of his own powers, joined to a
further acquaintance with the world, should enable him to cast off the
boyish assumption of pedantry, a man of a keen, ready intellect and
considerable penetration would remain.

Many of my readers may be inclined to exclaim that the character of
Denny is not to be found in real life; but they are mistaken who think
so. They are not to suppose that Denis O'Shaughnessy was the same person
in his intercourse with intelligent men and scholars, that he appeared
among the illiterate peasantry, or his own relations. Far from it. With
the former, persons like him are awkward and bashful, or modest and
unassuming, according to the be