“’Deed thin,” replied the priest of Liscannor, “barring the famine years, I’ve mixed two tumblers of punch for meself every day these forty years, and if it was all together it’d be about enough to give Mr. Neville a day’s sale-shooting on in his canoe.”  Immediately after dinner Neville was invited to light his cigar, and everything was easy, comfortable, and to a certain degree adventurous.  There were the two priests, and a young Mr. Finucane from Ennistimon,—­who however was not quite so much to Fred’s taste as the elder men.  Mr. Finucane wore various rings, and talked rather largely about his father’s demesne.  But the whole thing was new, and by no means dull.  As Neville had not left Ennis till late in the day,—­after what he called a hard day’s work in the warrior line,—­they did not sit down till past eight o’clock; nor did any one talk of moving till past midnight.  Fred certainly made for himself more than two glasses of punch, and he would have sworn that the priest had done so also.  Father Marty, however, was said by those who knew him best to be very rigid in this matter, and to have the faculty of making his drink go a long way.  Young Mr. Finucane took three or four,—­perhaps five or six,—­and then volunteered to join Fred Neville in a day’s shooting under the rocks.  But Fred had not been four years in a cavalry regiment without knowing how to protect himself in such a difficulty as this.  “The canoe will only hold myself and the man,” said Fred, with perfect simplicity.  Mr. Finucane drew himself up haughtily and did not utter another word for the next five minutes.  Nevertheless he took a most affectionate leave of the young officer when half an hour after midnight he was told by Father Marty that it was time for him to go home.  Father Creech also took his leave, and then Fred and the priest of Liscannor were left sitting together over the embers of the turf fire.  “You’ll be going up to see our friends at Ardkill to-morrow,” said the priest.

“Likely enough, Father Marty.”

“In course you will.  Sorrow a doubt of that.”  Then the priest paused.

“And why shouldn’t I?” asked Neville.

“I’m not saying that you shouldn’t, Mr. Neville.  It wouldn’t be civil nor yet nathural after knowing them as you have done.  If you didn’t go they’d be thinking there was a rason for your staying away, and that’d be worse than all.  But, Mr. Neville—­”

“Out with it, Father Marty.”  Fred knew what was coming fairly well, and he also had thought a good deal upon the matter.

“Them two ladies, Mr. Neville, live up there all alone, with sorrow a human being in the world to protect them,—­barring myself.”

“Why should they want protection?”

“Just because they’re lone women, and because one of them is very young and very beautiful.”

“They are both beautiful,” said Neville.

“’Deed and they are,—­both of ’em.  The mother can look afther herself, and after a fashion, too, she can look afther her daughter.  I shouldn’t like to be the man to come in her way when he’d once decaived her child.  You’re a young man, Mr. Neville.”