“This is Mr. M’Carthy, Cannie.”

“Ay, M’Carthy—­troth ’tis a good ould name.  Well, Mr. M’Carthy, all I have to say to you! is, that if you happen to meet a man that gives you good advice, TAKE IT.  An’ now God be Wid you all, an’ spare you to one another!”

So saying, he slung his huge pack over his shoulders almost without an effort, and commencing a merry old Irish song he proceeded lightly and cheerfully on his journey.

“Well, boys,” said the proctor, “now that we’ve had a good hearty laugh with the Cannie Soogah, let us proceed to business.  I see by your red coats and top-boots, that you’re for the hounds to-day, but as I’m in a hurry, I wish before you go, that you’d see those sneaking devils that are hanging about the place.  Hourigan is there again with fresh falsehoods—­don’t be misled by him—­the ill-looking scoundrel is right well able to pay—­and dix me if I’ll spare him.  Tell him he needn’t expect any further forbearance—­a rascal that’s putting money in the saving’s bank to be pleadin’ poverty!  It’s too bad.  But the truth is, boys, there’s no one behind in their tithes now entitled to forbearance, and for the same reason they must pay or take the consequences; we’ll see whether they or the law will prove the strongest, and that very soon.  Good-bye, boys; good-bye, M’Carthy—­and I say, Jack and Alick, be on your sharps and don’t let them lads do you—­d’ye mind now?—­keen’s the word.”

He then got on his comfortable jaunting-car, and drove off to wait, according to appointment, upon the Rev. Jeremiah Turbot, D.D.

“Mogue Moylan,” said John, “will you go out and tell them fellows that I and Alick will be in the office presently—­and do you hear? tell them to look like men, and not so much like murderers that came to take our lives.  Say we’ll be in the office presently, and that we hope it’s not excuses they’re fetching us.”

“I will, Misther John; but, troth, it’s the worst word in their cheek they’d give me, if I deliver the last part of your message.  ’Tis my head in my fist I’d get, maybe; however, Misther John, between you an’ me, they’re an ill-looking set, one an’ all o’ them, an’ could pay their tides, every tail o’ them, if they wished.”

“I know that very well,” replied the young fellow, “but my father’s not the man to be trifled with.  We’ll soon see whether they or the law’s the strongest; that’s all.”

Moylan went over to where the defaulters were standing, and putting up his hand, he stroked down his cheek with great gravity.  “Are yez in a hurry, good people?” said he.

“Some of us is,” replied a voice.

“Ay, all of us,” replied others; “and we’re here now for an hour and a half, and no sign of seein’ us.”

“Yez are in a hurry, then?”

“To be sure we are.”

“Well, to them that’s in a hurry I’ve a word to say.”

“What is it, Mogue?”

“Why, it is this, take your time—­ever an’ always, when you happen to be in a hurry—­take your time.”