It is necessary to state here, that the glebe-house of that gentleman was situated within about two hundred yards of two crossroads, one of which went by the gate of entrance to it.  After a severe trudge, during a night that began now to brighten as the moon rose, Father Anthony found himself approaching the cross-roads in question, and for a moment imagined that he saw his own shadow before him, an impression which soon changed on observing that the shadow, or whatever it was, although loaded much as he himself was, that is to say, with a sack on his shoulders, evidently approached him—­a circumstance which he knew to be an impossibility, and that it must, consequently, be a distinct individual.  Having satisfied himself of this, he got under the shade of a hedge, a movement in which he was instantly imitated by the stranger.  Each stood concealed for some time, with a, hope that the other might advance and turn probably out of his way; but neither seemed disposed to move.  At length, Father Anthony gave a kind of inquisitive, dry cough, by way of experiment, which was instantly responded to by another cough equally dry and mysterious.  These were repeated two or three times without success, when at last Father Anthony advanced a little under shadow of the hedge, and found as before that the strange individual did the same; and thus, in fact, they kept gradually, coughing at each other and approaching until they fairly met face to face, each with a sack upon his shoulders.

“Con M’Mahon!” exclaimed the priest, “why, what on earth brought you out at this hour of the night, and—­aisy, what is this you’re’ carrying?”

“Faix, your reverence,” replied the other, “I might as well ask yourself the same two questions.”

“I know you might,” said Father Anthony; “but in the manetime you had better not.”

The priest spoke like one whose wind had not been improved by the burthen he carried; and M’Mahon, anxious if possible to get rid of him, determined to enter into some conversation that might tire out his strength.  He consequently selected the topic of the day as being best calculated for that purpose.

“Isn’t these blessed times that’s coming, plaise your reverence,” said M’Mahon, “when we’ll be done wid these tithes, and have the millstone taken from our necks altogether?”

This was spoken in a most wheedling and insinuating tone replete with the the confidence of one who knew that the stronger he spoke the more satisfaction he would give his auditor, and the more readily he would avert any suspicion as to his object and appearance at such an hour.

“Yes,” returned the priest, giving his burthen an uneasy twitch, “we have had too weighty a load upon our shoulders this many a day, and the devil’s own predicament it is to be overburthened with anything—­we all know that.”

“Sorra doubt of it,” replied the other, easing himself as well as he could by a corresponding hitch; “but it’s one comfort to myself anyhow, that I done my duty against the same tithes—­an’ bad luck to them!”