“Sent any! be my sowl, she did so! Afther readin' your letther, an' findin' that she could depind on me, she said that for fear of any remarks bein' made about my waitin', espishally as I live at present in this family, it would be better she thought to answer it by word o' mouth. 'Tell him,' said she, 'that I didn't think he wa—(hiccup) (Queen o' heaven!) was so dull an' ignorant o' the customs of the country, as not to know that whin young people want to see one another they stay away from mass wid an expectation that'—begad, I disremimber exactly her own words; but it was as much as to say that she staid at home on last Sunday expectin' to see you.”
“Well, but Bartle, what else?—short an' sweet, man.”
“Why, she'll meet you on next Thursday night, God willin', in the same place; an' whin I axed her where, she said you knew it yourself.”
“An' is that all?”
“No, it's not all; she sed it 'ud be better to mention the thing to her father. Afther thinkin' it over she says, 'as your father has the na—(hiccup) '(Saints above!) the name of being so rich, she doesn't know if a friend 'ud interfere but his consint might be got;' an' that's all I have to say about it, barrin' that she's a very purty girl, an' I'd advise you not to be too sure of her yet, Bartle. So now I'm for the barn—Good night, Far—(hiccup) (at my cost, you do it!) Fardorougha.”
He rose and proceeded to his sleeping—place in the barn, whither Connor, who was struck by his manner, accompanied him.
“Bartle,” said O'Donovan, “did you take anything since I saw you last?”
“Only a share of two naggins wid my brother Antony at Peggy Finigan's.”
“I noticed it upon you,” observed Connor; “but I don't think they did.”
“An' if they did, too, it's not high thrason, I hope.”