"Well, where is it, Brian?"
"Hav'nt I tould your ladyship it was to a tay party wid the inimy himself."
"Come, see if you can assist Virginia to the pillion," said Bacon, as he sprang into the saddle.
"By my purty and I'll do that same;" kneeling upon one knee and taking one foot in his hand, and then seating her as easily and gracefully as if he had been a stranger to the bottle for a month.
"I had no idea that you were such a coward, Brian," continued his master.
"Sorra a dhrop o' coward's blood runs in Brian O'Reily's heart, iny way. It's one thing to trate the grate inimy with dacent respect, and its another to fight the yellow nagres that go dodgin from tree to tree like so many frogs; the devil fly away wid the one and the t'other o' them for me, I say."
"And who is the great enemy?"
"Sure hav'nt I tould your haner and the beauty o' the world by your side, it was the man widout a shadow what lives in the stone house widout windows, as well he may, seein the light o' his own counthenance may be seen across the river the darkest night any day."
"Sit your horse straight, you drunken piece of stupidity, or you will break your neck."
"Oh! an if Brian never breaks his neck till he falls from a horse, sure he'll live to take many a dhrop of the crathur yet before he dies. Sure I was only crassin myself, divil a word o' lie's in that, iny way."