“Sure he sent us all there,” exclaimed Donovan.

“He did,” said the old woman.

“Not a doubt of it,” observed Flattery.

“Ten guineas!” said the housekeeper.  “An’ so you brought my ten guineas in your pocket to coort another girl!  Aren’t you a right profligate?”

“Yes,” said Donovan, “aren’t you a right profligate?”

“Answer the dacent people,” said Mattery, “aren’t you a right profligate?”

“Take the world asy, all of ye,” replied Phelim.  “Mrs. Doran, there was three of you called, sure enough; but, be the vestments, I intinded—­do you hear me, Mrs. Doran?  Now have rason—­I say, do you hear me?  Be the vestmints, I intinded to marry only one of you; an’ that I’ll do still, except I’m vexed—­(a wink at the old woman).  Yet you’re all flyin’ at me, as if I had three heads or three tails upon me.”

“Maybe the poor boy’s not so much to blame,” said Mrs. Doran.  “There’s hussies in this world,” and here she threw an angry eye upon the other two, “that ’ud give a man no pace till he’d promise to marry them.”

“Why did he promise to them that didn’t want him thin?” exclaimed Donovan.  “I’m not angry that he didn’t marry my daughther—­for I wouldn’t give her to him now—­but I am at the slight he put an her.”

“Paddy Donovan, did you hear what I said jist now?” replied Phelim, “I wish to Jamini some people ’ud have sinse!  Be them five crasses, I knew thim I intinded to marry, as well as I do where I’m standin’.  That’s plain talk, Paddy.  I’m sure the world’s not passed yet, I hope”—­(a wink at Paddy Donovan.)

“An’ wasn’t he a big rascal to make little of my brother’s daughter as he did?” said Flattery; “but he’ll rub his heels together for the same act.”

“Nick Flathery, do you think I could marry three wives?  Be that horseshoe over the door, Sally Flathery, you didn’t thrate me dacent.  She did not, Nick, an’ you ought to know that it was wrong of her to come here to-day.”

“Well, but what do you intind to do Phelim, avourn—­you profligate?” said the half-angry, half-pacified housekeeper, who, being the veteran, always led on the charge.  “Why, I intind to marry one of you,” said Phelim.  “I say, Mrs. Doran, do you see thim ten fingers acrass—­be thim five crasses I’ll do what I said, if nothing happens to put it aside.”

“Then be an honest man,” said Flattery, “an’ tell us which o’ them you will marry.”

“Nick, don’t you know I always regarded your family.  If I didn’t that I may never do an ill turn!  Now!  But some people can’t see anything.  Arrah, fandher-an’-whiskey, man, would you expect me to tell out before all that’s here, who I’ll marry—­to be hurtin’ the feelin’s of the rest.  Faith, I’ll never do a shabby thing.”

“What rekimpinse will you make my daughter for bringin’ down her name afore the whole parish, along wid them she oughtn’t to be named in the one day wid?” said Donovan.