“Whilst Father James was dancing with the bridesmaid, I gave Mary the wink to! come away from Father Corrigan, wishing, as I tould you, to get out amongst the youngsters once more; and Mary, herself, to tell the truth, although he was the priest, was very willing to do so.  I went over to her, and says, ’Mary, asthore, there’s a friend without that wishes to spake to you.’

“‘Well,’ says Father Corrigan, ’tell that friend that she’s better employed, and that they must wait, whoever they are.  I’m giving your wife, Shane,’ says he, ’a little good advice that she won’t be the worse for, and she can’t go now.’

“Mary, in the meantime, had got up, and was coming away, when his Reverence wanted her to stay till they’d finished their dance.  ’Father Corrigan,’ says she, ’let me go now, sir, if you plase, for they would think it bad threatment of me not to go out to them.’

“‘Troth, and you’ll do no such thing, acushla,’ says he, spaking so sweet to her; ’let them come in if they want you.  Shane, says his Reverence, winking at me, and spiking in a whisper, ’stay here, you and the girls, till we take a hate at the dancing—­don’t you know that the ould women here, and me will have to talk over some things about the fortune; you’ll maybe get more nor you expect.  Here, Molshy,’ says he to my mother-in-law, ’don’t let the youngsters out of this.”

“‘Musha, Shane, ahagur,’ say’s the ould woman ’why will yez go and lave the place; sure you needn’t be dashed before them—­they’ll dance themselves.’

“Accordingly we stayed in the room; but just on the word, Mary gives one spring away, leaving his Reverence by himself on the settle.  ’Come away,’ says she, ’lave them there, and let us go to where I can have a dance with yourself, Shane.’

“Well, I always loved Mary, but at that minute, if it would save her, I think I could spill my heart’s blood for her.  ‘Mary,’ says I full to the throat, ’Mary, acushla agus asthore machree,* I could lose my life for you.’

     The very pulse and delight of my heart.

“She looked in my face, and the tears came into her—­yes—­’Shane, achora,’ says she, ‘amn’t I your happy girl, at last?’ She was leaning over against my breast; and what answer do you think I made?—­I pressed her to my heart:  I did more—­I took off my hat, and looking up to God, I thanked him with tears in my eyes, for giving me such a treasure.  ’Well, come now,’ says she, ‘to the green;’ so we went—­and it’s she that was the girl, when she did go among them, that threw them all into the dark for beauty and figure; as fair as a lily itself did she look—­so tall and illegant, that you wouldn’t think she was a farmer’s daughter at all; so we left the priests dancing away, for we could do no good before them.