The house of Gerald Cavanagh, though not so large as that of our kind-hearted friend, Jemmy Burke, was a good specimen of what an Irish farmer’s residence ought to be.  It was distant from Burke’s somewhat better than two miles, and stood almost, immediately inside the highway, upon a sloping green that was vernal through the year.  It was in the cottage style, in the form of a cross, with a roof ornamentally thatched, and was flanked at a little distance by the office-houses.  The grass was always so close on this green, as to have rather the appearance of a well kept lawn.  The thorn-trees stood in front of it, clipped in the shape of round tables, on one of which, exposed to all weathers, might be seen a pair of large churn-staves, bleached into a white, fresh color, that caused a person to long for the butter they made.  On the other stood a large cage, in which was imprisoned a blackbird, whose extraordinary melody had become proverbial in the neighborhood.  Down a little to the right of the hall-door, a pretty winding gravelled pathway led to a clear spring well that was overshadowed by a spreading white-thorn; and at each gable stood a graceful elder or mountain-ash, whose red berries during the autumn had a fine effect, and contrasted well with the mass of darker and larger trees, by which the back portion of the house and the offices was almost concealed.  Both the house and green were in an elevated position, and commanded a delightful expanse of rich meadows to the extent of nearly one hundred acres, through which a placid river wound its easy way, like some contented spirit that glides calmly and happily through the gentle vicissitudes of an untroubled life.

As Peety Dhu, whilst passing from the residence of our friend Jemmy Burke to that of Gerald Cavanagh, considered himself in his vocation, the reader will not be surprised to hear that it was considerably past noon! when he arrived at Fenton’s Farm; for by this name the property was known on a portion of which the Cavanaghs lived.  It might be about the hours of two or three o’clock, when Peety, on arriving at the gate which led into Cavanagh’s house, very fortunately saw his daughter Kathleen, in the act of feeding the blackbird aforementioned; and prudently deeming this the best opportunity of accomplishing his mission, he beckoned her to approach him.  The good-natured girl did so:  saying at the same time—­“What is the matter, Peety?—­do you want me?  Won’t you come into the kitchen?”

“Thank you, avourneen, but I can’t; I did want you, but it was only to give you this letther.  I suppose it will tell you all.  Oh, thin, is it any wondher that you should get it, an’ that half the parish should be dyin’ in love wid you? for, in troth, it’s enough to make an ould man feel young agin even to look at you.  I was afraid they might see me givin’ you the letther from the windy, and that’s what made me sign to you to come to me here.  Good-bye a colleen dhas (* Pretty girl.)—­an’ it’s you that’s that sure enough.”