The stranger, who had gone out to view the town, found, during that survey, little of this absence of employment, and its consequent destitution, to disturb him.  Many things, it is true, both in the town and suburbs, were liable to objection.

Abundance there was; but, in too many instances, he could see, at a glance, that it was accompanied by unclean and slovenly habits, and that the processes of husbandry and tillage were disfigured by old usages, that were not only painful to contemplate, but disgraceful to civilization.

The stranger was proceeding down the town, when he came in contact with a ragged, dissipated-looking young man, who had, however, about him the evidences of having seen better days.  The latter touched his hat to him, and observed, “You seem to be examining our town, sir?”

“Pray, what is your name?” inquired the stranger, without seeming to notice the question.

“Why, for the present, sir,” he replied, “I beg to insinuate that I am rather under a cloud; and, if you have no objection, would prefer to remain anonymous, or to preserve my incognito, as they say, for some time longer.”

“Have you no alias, by which you may be known?”

“Unquestionably, an alias I have,” replied the other; “for as to passing through life, in the broad, anonymous sense, without some token to distinguish you by, the thing, to a man like me, is impossible.  I am consequently known as Frank Fenton, a name I borrowed from a former friend of mine, an old school-fellow, who, while he lived, was, like myself, a bit of an original in his way.  How do you like our town, sir,” he added, changing the subject.

“I have seen too little of it,” replied the stranger, “to judge.  Is this your native town, Mr. Fenton,” he added.

“No, sir; not my native town,” replied Fenton; “but I have resided here from hand to mouth long enough to know almost every individual in the barony at large.”

During this dialogue, the stranger eyed Fenton, as he called himself, very closely; in fact, he watched every feature of his with a degree of curiosity and doubt that was exceedingly singular.

“Have you, sir, been here before.” asked Fenton; “or is this your first visit?”

“It is not my first visit,” replied the other; “but it is likely I shall reside here for some months.”

“For the benefit of your health, I presume,” asked modest Frank.

“My good friend,” replied the stranger, “I wish to make an observation.  It is possible, I say, that I may remain here for some months; now, pray, attend, and mark me—­whenever you and I chance, on any future occasion, to meet, it is to be understood between us that you are to answer me in anything I ask, which you know, and I to answer you in nothing, unless I wish it.”

“Thank you, sir,” he replied, with a low and not ungraceful bow; “that’s a compliment all to the one side, like Clogher."*