“D—­n me, whoever christened you Hycy the accomplished, hit you off.”

“I did myself; because you must know, my worthy Hal, that, along with all my other accomplishments, I am my own priest.’

“And that is the reason why you hate the clergy? eh—­ha! ha! ha!”

“A hit, a hit, I do confess.”

“Harke, Mr. Priest, will you give absolution—­to Tom Corbet?”

“Ah!  Hal, no more an’ thou lovest me—­that sore is yet open.  Curse the villain.  My word and honor, Hal, the gentleman’ was right there.  He told me at the first glance what she was.  Here comes a shower, let us move on, and reach Ballymacan, if possible, before it falls.  We shall be home in fair time for dinner afterwards, and then for my proposal, which, by the word and honor—­”

“And morality?”

“Nonsense, Harry; is a man to speak nothing but truth or Scripture in this world?—­No—­which I say by the honor of a gentleman, it will be your interest to consider and accept.”

“Very well, most accomplished.  We shall see, and we shall hear, and then we shall determine.”

A ham and turkey were substituted for the pig’s cheek and fowl, and we need not say that Hycy and his friend accepted of the substitution with great complacency.  Dinner having been discussed, and a bottle of wine finished, the punch came in, and each, after making himself a stiff tumbler, acknowledged that he felt comfortable.  Hycy, however, anxious that he should make an impression, or in other words gain his point, allowed Clinton to grow a little warm with liquor before he opened the subject to which he had alluded.  At length, when he had reached the proper elevation, he began:—­

“There’s no man, my dear Harry, speaks apparently more nonsense than I do in ordinary chat and conversation.  For instance, to-day I was very successful in it; but no matter, I hate seriousness, certainly, when there is no necessity for it.  However, as a set-off to that, I pledge you my honor that no man can be more serious when it is necessary than myself.  For instance, you let out a matter to me the other night that you probably forget now.  You needn’t stare—­I am serious enough and honorable enough to keep as an inviolable secret everything of the kind that a man may happen to disclose in an unguarded moment.”

“Go on, Hycy, I don’t forget it—­I don’t, upon my soul.”

“I allude to M’Mahon’s farm in Ahadarra.”

“I don’t forget it; but you know, Hycy, my boy, I didn’t mention either M’Mahon or Ahadarra.”

“You certainly did not mention them exactly; but, do you think I did not know at once both the place and the party you allude to?  My word and honor, I saw them at a glance.”

“Very well, go on with your word and honor;—­you are right, I did mean M’Mahon and Ahadarra—­proceed, most accomplished, and most moral—­”

“Be quiet, Harry.  Well, you have your eye upon that farm, and you say you have a promise of it.”