“I hear it,” said Paddy, “but I’ll b’lieve as much of it as I like.”

Phelim apprehended that as his father got warm with the liquor, he might, in vindicating the truth of his own assertion, divulge the affair of the old housekeeper.

“Ould man,” said he “have sinse, an’ pass that over, if you have any regard for Phelim.”

“I’d not be brow-bate into anything,” observed Donovan.

“Sowl, you would not,” said Phelim; “for my part, Paddy, I’m ready to marry your daughther (a squeeze to Peggy) widout a ha’p’orth at all, barrin’ herself.  It’s the girl I want, an’ not the slip.”

“Thin, be the book, you’ll get both, Phelim, for your dacency,” said Donovan; “but, you see I wouldn’t be bullied into’ puttin’ one foot past the other, for the best man that ever stepped on black leather.”

“Whish!” said Appleton, “that’s the go!  Success ould heart!  Give us your hand, Paddy,—­here’s your good health, an’ may you never button an empty pocket!”

“Is all settled?” inquired Molly.

“All, but about the weddin’ an’ the calls,” replied her husband.  “How are we to do about that, Larry?”

“Why, in the name o’ Goodness, to save time,” he replied, “let them be called on Sunday next, the two Sundays afther, an thin marrid, wid a blessin’.”

“I agree wid that entirely,” observed Molly; “an’ now Phelim, clear away, you an’ Peggy, off o’ that chist, till we have our bit o’ supper in comfort.”

“Phelim,” said Larry, “when the suppers done, you must slip over to Roche’s for a couple o’ bottles more o’ whiskey.  We’ll make a night of it.”

“There’s two bottles in the house,” said Donovan; “an’, be the saikerment, the first man that talks of bringin’ in more, till these is dhrunk, is ondacent.”

This was decisive.  In the meantime, the chest was turned into a table, the supper laid, and the attack commenced.  All was pleasure, fun, and friendship.  The reader may be assured that Phelim, during the negotiation, had not misspent the time with Peggy, Their conversation, however, was in a tone too low to be heard by those who were themselves talking loudly.

One thing, however, Phelim understood from his friend Sam Appleton, which was, that some clue had been discovered to an outrage in which he (Appleton) had been concerned.  Above all other subjects, that was one on which Phelim was but a poor comforter.  He himself found circumspection necessary; and he told Appleton, that if ever danger approached him, he had resolved either to enlist, or go to America, if he could command the money.

“You ought to do that immediately,” added Phelim.

“Where’s the money?” replied the other.  “I don’t know,” said Phelim; “but if I was bent on goin’, the want of money wouldn’t stop me as long as it could be found in the counthry.  We had to do as bad for others, an’ it can’t be a greater sin to do that much for ourselves.”