“An’ what might the message be, Masther; Pat Roach?  To dine to-day wid your worthy father, abouchal?”

“No, sir; it’s from one o’ Mr. Lanigan’s boys—­him that belongs to the carts, sir; he wants to spake to you, sir, i’ you plase.”

“An’ do you give that by way of an apologetical oration for your absence from the advantages of my tuition until this hour?  However, non constat Patrici; I’ll pluck the crow wid you on my return.  If you don’t find yourself a well-flogged youth for your ‘mitchin,’ never say that this right hand can administer condign punishment to that part of your physical theory which constitutes the antithesis to your vacuum caput.  En et ewe, you villain,” he added, pointing to the birch, “it’s newly cut and trimmed, and pregnant wid alacrity for the operation.  I correct, Patricius, on fundamental principles, which you’ll soon feel to your cost.”

“Masther, sir,” replied the lad, in a friendly, conciliating tone, “my father ’ud be oblaged to you, if you’d take share of a fat goose wid him to-morrow.”

“Go to your sate, Paddy, avourneen; devil a dacent boy in the seminary I joke—­so much wid, as I do wid yourself; an’ all out of respect for your worthy parents.  Faith, I’ve a great regard for them, all out, an’ tell them so.”

He then proceeded to the carts, and approaching Jemmy, gave him such advice touching his conduct in Munster, as he considered to be most serviceable to an inexperienced lad of his years.

“Here,” said the kind-hearted soul—­“here, James, is my mite; it’s but bare ten shillings; but if I could make it a pound for you, it would give me a degree of delectability which I have not enjoyed for a long time.  The truth is, there’s something like the nodus matrimonii, or what they facetiously term the priest’s gallows, dangling over my head, so that any little thrifle I may get must be kept together for that crisis, James, abouchal; so that must be my apology for not giving you more, joined to the naked fact, that I never was remarkable for a superfluity of cash under any circumstances.  Remember what I told you last night.  Don’t let a shilling of your money into the hands of the masther you settle wid.  Give it to the parish priest, and dhraw it from him when you want it.  Don’t join the parties or the factions of the school.  Above all, spake ill of nobody; and if the; masther is harsh upon you, either bear it patiently, or mintion it to the priest, or to some other person of respectability in the parish, and you’ll be protected.  You’ll be apt to meet cruelty enough, my good boy:  for there are larned Neros in Munster, who’d flog if the province was in flames.