“Not a syllable of it.”

He then coughed again, and having opened the document, began deliberately to peruse it.

The stranger, who was disagreeably impressed by his whole manner and appearance, made a point to watch the effect which the contents of the document might have on him.  The other, in the meantime, read on, and, as he proceeded, it was obvious that the communication was not only one that gave him no pleasure, but filled him with suspicion and alarm.  After about twenty minutes—­for it took him at least that length of time to get through it—­he raised his head, and fastening his small, piercing eyes upon the stranger, said: 

“But how do I know that this letter comes from Father M’Mahon?”

“I’d have you to understand, sir,” replied the stranger, nearly losing his temper, “that you are addressing a gentleman and a man of honor.”

“Faith,” said the other, “I don’t know whether I am or not.  I have only your word for it—­and no man’s willin’ to give a bad character of himself—­but if you will keep the shop here for a minute or two, I’ll soon be able to tell whether it’s Father M’Mahon’a hand-write or not.”

So saying, he deliberately locked both tills of the counter—­to wit, those which contained the silver and coppers—­then, surveying the stranger with a look of suspicion—­a look, by the way, that, after having made his cash safe, had now something of the triumph and confidence of security in it, he withdrew to a little backroom, that was divided from the shop by a partition of boards and a glass door, to which there was a red curtain.

“It is betther,” said the impudent old sinner, alluding to the cash in the tills, “to greet over it than greet afther it—­just keep the shop for a couple of minutes, and then we’ll undherstand one another, may be.  There’s a great many skamers going in this world.”

Having entered the little room in question, he suddenly popped out his head and asked: 

“Could you weigh a stone or a half stone of praties, if they were called for?  But, never mind—­you’d be apt to give down weight—­I’ll come out and do it myself, if they’re wanted;” saying which, he drew the red curtain aside, in order the better, as it would seem, to keep a watchful eye upon the other.

The latter was at first offended, but ultimately began to feel amused by the offensive peculiarities of the old man.  He now perceived that he was eccentric and capricious, and that, in order to lure any information out of him, it would be necessary to watch and take advantage of the disagreeable whimsicalities which marked his character.  Patience, he saw clearly, was his only remedy.

After remaining in the back parlor for about eight or ten minutes, he put out his thin, sharp face, with a grin upon it, which was intended for a smile—­the expression of which, however, was exceedingly disagreeable.

“We will talk this matter over,” he said, “by and by.  I have compared the hand-write in this letther wid a certificate of Father M’Mahon’s, that I have for many years in my possession.  Step inside in the meantime; the ould woman will be back in a few minutes, and when she comes we’ll go upstairs and speak about it.”