Phelim put his hand instinctively to his waistcoat pocket, in which he carried the housekeeper’s money.

“Would you oblage one wid her name?”

“You know ould Molly Kavanagh well enough, Phelim.”

Phelim put up an inward ejaculation of thanks.

“To the sarra wid her, an’ all sasoned women.  God be praised that the night’s line, anyhow!  Hand me the shell, an’ we’ll take a gauliogue aich, an’ afther that we’ll begin an’ talk over how lovin’ an’ fond o’ one another we’ll be.”

“You’re takin’ too much o’ the whiskey, Phelim.  Oh, for Goodness’ sake!—­oh—­b—­b—­n—­now be asy.  Faix, I’ll go to the fire, an’ lave you altogether, so I will, if you don’t give over slustherin’ me, that way, an’ stoppin’ my breath.”

“Here’s all happiness to our two selves, acushla machree! Now thry another gauliogue, an’ you’ll see how deludin’ it’ll make you.”

“Not a sup, Phelim.”

“Arrah, nonsense!  Be the vestment, it’s as harmless as new milk from the cow.  It’ll only do you good, alanna.  Come now, Peggy, don’t be ondacent, an’ it our first night’s coortin’!  Blood alive! don’t make little o’ my father’s son on sich a night, an’ us at business like this, anyhow!”

“Phelim, by the crass, I won’t take it; so that ends it.  Do you want to make little o’ me?  It’s not much you’d think o’ me in your mind, if I’d dhrink it.”

“The shell’s not half full.”

“I wouldn’t brake my oath for all the whiskey in the kingdom; so don’t ax me.  It’s neither right nor proper of you to force it an me.”

“Well, all I say is, that it’s makin’ little of one Phelim O’Toole, that hasn’t a thought in his body but what’s over head an’ ears in love wid you.  I must only dhrink it for you myself, thin.  Here’s all kinds o’ good fortune to us!  Now, Peggy,—­sit closer to me acushla!—­Now, Peggy, are you fond o’ me at all?  Tell thruth, now.”

“Fond o’ you!  Sure you know all the girls is fond of you.  Aren’t you the boy for deludin’ them?—­ha, ha, ha?”

“Come, come, you shaver; that won’t do.  Be sarious.  If you knew how my heart’s warmin’ to you this minute, you’d fall in love wid my shadow.  Come, now, out wid it.  Are you fond of a sartin boy not far from you, called Bouncin’ Phelim?”

“To be sure I am.  Are you satisfied now?  Phelim!  I say,”—­

“Faith, it won’t pass, avourneen.  That’s not the voice for it.  Don’t you hear me, how tendher I spake wid my mouth brathin’ into your ear, acushla machree? Now turn about, like a purty entisin’ girl, as you are, an’ put your sweet bill to my ear the same way, an’ whisper what you know into it?  That’s a darlin’!  Will you, achora?”

“An’ maybe all this time you’re promised to another?”

“Be the vestments, I’m not promised to one.  Now!  Saize the one!”

“You’ll say that, anyhow!”