“Peter,” said he, “if you don’t abandon drink, I shall stop the masses which I’m offering up for the repose of your wife’s soul, and I will also return you the money I received for saying them.”

This was, perhaps, the only point on which Peter was accessible.  He felt staggered at such an unexpected intimation, and was for some time silent.

“You will then feel,” added the priest, “that your drunkenness is prolonging the sufferings of your wife, and that she is as much concerned in your being sober as you are yourself.”

“I will give in,” replied Peter; “I didn’t see the thing in that light.  No—­I will give it up; but if I swear against it, you must allow me a rasonable share every day, an’ I’ll not go beyant it, of coorse.  The truth is, I’d die soon if I gev it up altogether.”

“We have certainly no objection against that,” said the priest, “provided you keep within what would injure your health, or make you tipsy.  Your drunkenness is not only sinful but disreputable; besides, you must not throw a slur upon the character of your children, who hold respectable and rising situations in the world.”

“No,” said Peter, in a kind of soliloquy, “I’d lay down my life, avoumeen, sooner nor I’d cause you a minute’s sufferin’.  Father Mulcahy, go an wid the masses.  I’ll get an oath drawn up, an’ whin it’s done, I’ll swear to it.  I know a man that’ll do it for me.”

The priest then departed, quite satisfied with having accomplished his object; and Peter, in the course of that evening, directed his steps to the house of the village schoolmaster, for the purpose of getting him to “draw up” the intended oath.

“Misther O’Flaherty,” said he, “I’m comin’ to ax a requist of you an’ I hope you’ll grant it to me.  I brought down a sup in this flask, an’ while we’re takin’ it, we can talk over what I want.”

“If it be anything widin the circumference of my power, set it down, Misther Connell, as already operated upon.  I’d drop a pen to no man at keepin’ books by double enthry, which is the Italian method invinted by Pope Gregory the Great.  The Three sets bear a theological ratio to the three states of a thrue Christian.  ‘The Waste-book,’ says Pope Gregory, ‘is this world, the Journal is purgatory, an’ the Ledger is heaven.  Or it may be compared,’ he says, in the priface of the work, ’to the three states of the Catholic church—­the church Militant, the church Suffering and the church Triumphant.’  The larnin’ of that man was beyant the reach of credibility.”

“Arra, have you a small glass, Masther?  You see, Misther O’Flaherty, it’s consarnin’ purgatory, this that I want to talk about.”

“Nancy, get us a glass—­oh, here it is!  Thin if it be, it’s a wrong enthry in the Journal.”

“Here’s your health, Masther!—­Not forgetting you, Mrs. O’Flaherty.  No, indeed, thin it’s not in the Journal, but an oath I’m goin’ to take against liquor.”