allow him to be touched; and many of them laughed heartily when they saw Art turned into a clergyman, as they said.  Art, however, was no coward, and threatened to read every man of them out from the altar.  ’I’ll exkimnicate every mother’s son of you,’ said he.  ’I’m a reverend clargy; and, by the contents of my soger’s cap, I’ll close the mouths on your faces, so that a blessed pratie or a boult of fat bacon will never go down one of your villainous throats again; and then,’ he added, ’I’ll sell you for scarecrows to the Pope o’ Room, who wants a dozen or two of you to sweep out his palace.’  It was then, sir, that, while I was getting out of my red clothes, I was transformed again; but, indeed, the most of us are so now, God help us!”

They had now arrived at a narrow part of the road, when the priest stood.

“Mr. Reilly,” said he, “I am very tired; but, as it is, we must go on a couple of miles further, until we reach Glen Dhu, where I think I can promise you a night’s lodging, such as it will be.”

“I am easily satisfied,” replied his companion; “it would be a soft bed that would win me to repose on this night, at least.”

“It will certainly be a rude and a rough one,” said the priest, “and there will be few hearts there free from care, no more than yours, Mr. Reilly.  Alas! that I should be obliged to say so in a Christian country.”

“You say you are fatigued,” said Reilly.  “Take my arm; I am strong enough to yield you some support.”

The priest did so, and they proceeded at a slower pace, until they got over the next two miles, when the priest stopped again.

“I must rest a little,” said he, “although we are now within a hundred yards of our berth for the night.  Do you know where you are?”

“Perfectly,” replied Reilly; “but, good mercy! sure there is neither house nor home within two miles of us.  We are in the moors, at the very mouth of Glen Dhu.’

“Yes,” replied his companion, “and I am glad we are here.”

The poor hunted priest felt himself, indeed, very much exhausted, so much so that, if the termination of his journey had been at a much longer distance from thence, he would scarcely have been able to reach it.

“God help our unhappy Church,” said he, “for she is suffering much; but still she is suffering nobly, and with such Christian fortitude as will make her days of trial and endurance the brightest in her annals.  All that power and persecution can direct against us is put in force a thousand ways; but we act under the consciousness that we have God and truth on our side, and this gives us strength and courage to suffer.  And if we fly, Mr. Reilly, and hide ourselves, it is not from any moral cowardice we do so.  It certainly is not true courage to expose our lives wantonly and unnecessarily to the vengeance of our enemies.  Read the Old Testament and history, and you will find how many good and pious men have sought shelter in wildernesses and caves, as we have done.  The truth is, we feel ourselves called upon, for the sake of our suffering and neglected flocks, to remain in the country, and to afford them all the consolation and religious support in our power, God help them.”