and Ned was left with Mr. Cronin to talk to him as
best he could; for it was difficult to talk to this hard, grizzled man,
knowing nothing about the war in Cuba nor evincing any interest in
America. When Ned asked him about Ireland he answered in short
sentences, which brought the conversation to abrupt closes. America
having failed to draw him out, and Ireland, Ned began to talk of his
landlady. But it was not until he related the conversation he had had
with her that evening about Miss Cronin that the old farmer began to
talk a little. Ned could see he was proud of his daughter; he regretted
that she had not gone to Oxford, and said she would have carried all
before her if she had gone there. Ned could see that what his landlady
had told him was true--that old Cronin thought very little of Ireland.
He hoped to get three minutes' conversation, at least, out of Girton,
but the old farmer seemed to have said everything he had to say on the
subject. The conversation failed again, and Ned was forced to speak to
him of the interest that Miss Cronin took in the Irish language and her
desire to speak it. At the mention of the Irish language, the old man
grew gruffer, and remembering that the landlady had said that Miss
Cronin was very religious, Ned spoke of the priests--there were two in
the room--and he asked Mr. Cronin which of them had encouraged Miss
Cronin to learn Irish. He had never heard the language spoken, and
would like to hear it.

"I believe, Mr. Cronin, it was Father Egan who taught your daughter
Latin?"

"It was so," said Mr. Cronin; "but he might have left the Irish alone,
and politics, too. We keep them as fat as little bonhams, and they
ought to be satisfied with that."

Ned did not know what were little bonhams, and pretended a great
interest when he was told that bonham was the Irish for sucking pig,
and glancing at the priests he noticed that they were fat indeed, and
he said, "There is nothing like faith for fattening. It is better than
any oil-cake."

Mr. Cronin gave a grunt and Ned thought he was going to laugh at this
sally, but he suddenly moved away, and Ned wondered what had happened.
It was Ellen who had crossed the room to speak to her father, and Ned
could see that she had heard his remark, and he could see that the
remark had angered her, that she thought it in bad taste. He prepared
quickly a winning speech which would turn the edge of her indignation,
but before he had time to speak the