“He has honored my father,” said Alick, “by sending him a written proposal for my sister Julia—ha! ha! ha!”
“Well, now, did he, Mr. Alick?”
“Yes; and he says that he may be refused now, but won't the next time he asks her.”
“Well, then, Mr. Alick, I'll tell you what I'd advise you to do: go home, and tell your father to send for him, if he knows where to find him, and let him not lose a day in marryin' her to him; for if everything is thrue that's said of him, he was never known to break a promise, whether it was for good or ill.”
“Ha! ha! ha! thank you, Cannie,—excellent!” replied Alick.
“Who can he be, Cannie?” asked Miss O'Driscol, “this person of such wonderful mystery? I have never seen him, but I wish I could.”
“Ay, have you, often—I'll engage, Miss.”
“And so do I,” added her father; “I wish to see him also, and to have everything mysterious cleared up.”
“Well,” continued the pedlar, “I know nothing myself about him, only as I hear; but if all's thrue that's said, he could give your father, and you, Mr. Alick, lave to walk through the whole counthry in the hour of noonday or midnight, widout a finger ever bein' raised against one o' you; and as for you, Mr. O'Driscol, he could have the house pulled about your ears in an hour's time, if he wished—ay, and he would, too, if he heard that you spoke a harsh word of him.”
“As for me, Cannie,” replied the magistrate, “I trust I'm a Christian man, and not in the habit of abusing the absent. Indeed, I don't see what right any one has to make impertinent inquiries into the life or way of living of any respectable person—I do not see it, Cannie; and, I assure you, I always set my face against such prying inquiries.”