Frank’s dread of openly offending his parents prevented him from assembling his associates in the dwelling-house; the only convenient place of rendezvous, therefore, of which they could avail themselves, was the stable.  Here they met, and Frank, after uncorking a bottle of poteen, addressed them to the following effect: 

“Boys, there’s great excuse for me, in regard of my fight wid Mike Reillaghan; that you’ll all allow.  Come, boys, your healths!  I can tell yez you’ll find this good, the divil a doubt of it; be the same token, that I stole it from my father’s Christmas dhrink; but no matther for that—­I hope we’ll never do worse.  So, as I was sayin’, you must bear me out as well as you can, when I’m brought before the Dilegates to-morrow, for challengin’ and strikin’ a brother.* But, I think, you’ll stand by me, boys?”

* Those connected with illegal combinations are sworn to have no private or personal quarrels, nor to strike nor provoke each other to fight.  He and Mike were members of such societies.

“By the tarn-o’-war, Frank, myself will fight to the knees for you.”

“Faith, you may depend on us, Frank, or we’re not to the fore.”

“I know it, boys; and now for a piece of fun for this night.  You see—­come, Lanty, tare-an’-ounkers, drink, man alive—­you see, wid regard to Peggy Gartland—­eh? what the hell! is that a cough?”

“One o’ the horses, man—­go an.”

“Rody, did Darby More go into the barn before you came out of it?”

“Darby More? not he.  If he did, I’d a seen him surely.”

“Why, thin, I’d kiss the book I seen him goin’ towards the barn, as I was comin’ into the stable.  Sowl, he’s a made boy, that; an’ if I don’t mistake, he’s in Mike Reillaghan’s intherest.  You know divil a secret can escape him.”

“Hut! the prayin’ ould crathur was on his way to the Midnight Mass; he thravels slow, and, of coorse, has to set out early; besides, you know, he has Carols, and bades, and the likes, to sell at the chapel.”

“Thrue, for you, Rody; why, I thought he might take it into his head to watch my motions, in regard that, as I said, I think him in Mike’s intherest.”

“Nonsense, man, what the dickens ’ud bring him into the stable loft?  Why, you’re beside yourself?”

“Be Gor, I bleeve so, but no matther.  Boys, I want yez to stand to me to-night:  I’m given to know for a sartinty that Mike and Peggy will be buckled to durin’ the Hollydays.  Now, I wish to get the girl myself; for if I don’t get her, may I be ground to atoms if he will.”

“Well, but how will you manage? for she’s fond of him.”

“Why, I’ll tell you that.  I was over there this evenin’, and I understand that all the family is goin’ to the Midnight Mass, barrin’ herself.  You see, while they are all gone to the ’mallet-office,’* we’ll slip down wid a thrifle o’ soot on our mugs, and walk down wid her to Kilnaheery, beyant the mountains, to an uncle o’ mine; an’ affcher that, let any man marry her who chooses to run the risk.  Be the contints o’ the book, Atty, if you don’t dhrink I’ll knock your head agin the wall, you gommoch!”