His father, indeed, saw little of him that night, in consequence of the honest man having preferred the hob of his wealthy and spacious kitchen to the society of his wife and son in the parlor.  The next morning, however, they met at breakfast, as usual, when Hycy, after some ironical compliments to his father’s good taste, asked him, “if he would do him the favor to step towards the stable and see his purchase.”

“You don’t mane Crazy Jane?” said the other, coolly.

“I do,” replied Hycy; “and as I set a high value on your opinion, perhaps you would be kind enough to say what you think of her.”

Now, Hycy never for a moment dreamt that his father would have taken him at his word, and we need hardly say that he was a good deal disconcerted at the cool manner in which the other expressed his readiness to do so.

“Well, Mr. Burke,” he proceeded, when they had reached the stable, “there she is.  Pray what do you think of her?”

The old man looked at her from various points, passed his hand down her limbs, clapped her on the back, felt her in different places, then looked at her again.  “She’s a beauty,” said he, “a born beauty like Billy Neelin’s foal; what’s this you say you paid for her?”

“Thirty-five pounds.”

“Tare-an-ounty, Hycy, she’s dog chape—­thirty-five!—­why she’s value for double the sum.”

“Nearly,” replied Hycy, quite elevated and; getting into good humor; “is she not really now, father, a precious bit of flesh?”

“Ah! you may swear that, Hycy; I tell you you won’t act the honest man, if you don’t give him fifteen or twenty pounds over an’ above what you paid him.  Tom Burton I see’s too simple for you.  Go and do what I bid you; don’t defraud the poor man; you have got a treasure, I tell you—­a beauty bright—­an extraordinary baste—­a wonderful animal—­oh, dear me! what a great purchase!  Good-bye, Hycy.  Bless my sowl! what a judge of horseflesh you are!”

Having uttered these words in a tone of grave and caustic irony, he left his worthy son in a state of chagrin almost bordering on resentment, at the strong contempt for Crazy-Jane, implied by the excessive eulogium he had passed upon her.  This feeling, however, was on reflection considerably checked by his satisfaction on finding that the matter was taken by his father so coolly.  He had calculated on receiving a very stormy lecture from him the moment he should become aware of his having the animal in his possession; and he now felt rather relieved that he should have escaped so easily.  Be this as it may, Hycy was now in excellent spirits.  Not only had Crazy Jane been secured, but there were strong symptoms of his being in cash.  In a few days after the incident of the stable, he contrived to see Philip Hogan, with whom he appointed a final meeting in Cavanagh’s kiln on the night of the Kemp; at which meeting, Teddy Phats and the other two Hogans were also to be present, in order to determine upon the steps which he ultimately proposed to take, with a view to work out his purposes, whatever those purposes may have been.