“All well, Bridget, an’ thanks be to heaven, all to the fore.”

“Glory be to God!  Throth it warms my heart to hear it.  An’ the childre’s all up finely, boys an’ girls?”

“Throth, they are, Bridget, as good-lookin’ a family o’ childre as you’d wish to see.  An’ what is betther, they’re as good as they’re good-lookin’.”

“Throth, they couldn’t but be that, if they tuck at all afther their father an’ mother.  Bridget, aroon, rub the pan betther—­an’ lay the knife down, I’ll cut the bacon myself, but go an’ get a dozen o’ the freshest eggs;—­an’ Kathleen, Owen, how does poor Kathleen look?  Does she stand it as well as yourself?”

“As young as ever you seen her.  God help her!—­a thousand degrees betther nor whin you seen her last.”

“An’ well to do, Owen?—­now tell the truth?  Och, musha, I forget who I’m spakin’ to, or I wouldn’t disremimber the ould sayin’ that’s abroad this many a year:—­’who ever knew a M’Carthy of Tubber Derg to tell a lie, break his word, or refuse to help a friend in distress.’  But, Owen, you’re well to do in’ the world?”

“We’re as well, Bridget, or may be betther, nor you ever knew us, except, indeed, afore the ould lase was run out wid us.”

“God be praised again?  Musha, turn round a little, Owen, for ’fraid Frank ’ud get too clear a sight of your face at first.  Arrah, do you think he’ll know you?  Och, to be sure he will; I needn’t ax.  Your voice would tell upon you, any day.”

“Know me!  Indeed Frank ’ud know my shadow.  He’ll know me wid half a look.”

And Owen was right, for quickly did the eye of his old friend recognize him, despite of the little plot that was laid to try his penetration.  To describe their interview would be to repeat the scene we have already attempted to depict between Owen and Mrs. Farrell.  No sooner were the rites of hospitality performed, than the tide of conversation began to flow with greater freedom.  Owen ascertained one important fact, which we will here mention, because it produces, in a great degree, the want of anything like an independent class of yeomanry in the country.  On inquiring after his old acquaintances, he discovered that a great many of them, owing to high rents, had emigrated to America.  They belonged to that class of independent farmers, who, after the expiration of their old leases, finding the little capital they had saved beginning to diminish, in consequence of rents which they could not pay, deemed it more prudent, while anything remained in their hands, to seek a country where capital and industry might be made available.  Thus did the landlords, by their mismanagement and neglect, absolutely drive off their estates, the only men, who, if properly encouraged, were capable of becoming the strength and pride of the country.  It is this system, joined to the curse of middlemen and sub-letting, which has left the country without any third grade of decent, substantial yoemen, who