m she returned to her brother, and lectured him as to his
lukewarm manifestations of affection.

"Martin," said she, returning into the little sitting-room, and
carefully shutting the door after her, "you're the biggest bosthoon of
a gandher I ever see, to be losing your opportunities with Anty this
way! I b'lieve it's waiting you are for herself to come forward to you.
Do you think a young woman don't expect something more from a lover
than jist for you to sit by her, and go on all as one as though she
was one of your own sisthers? Av' once she gets out of this before the
priest has made one of the two of you, mind, I tell you, it'll be all
up with you. I wondher, Martin, you haven't got more pluck in you!"

"Oh! bother, Meg. You're thinking of nothing but kissing and
slobbhering.--Anty's not the same as you and Jane, and doesn't be all
agog for such nonsense!"

"I tell you, Martin, Anty's a woman; and, take my word for it, what
another girl likes won't come amiss to her. Besides, why don't you
spake to her?"

"Spake?--why, what would you have me spake?"

"Well, Martin, you're a fool. Have you, or have you not, made up your
mind to marry Anty?"

"To be shure I will, av' she'll have me."

"And do you expect her to have you without asking?"

"Shure, you know, didn't I ask her often enough?"

"Ah, but you must do more than jist ask her that way. She'll never make
up her mind to go before the priest, unless you say something sthronger
to her. Jist tell her, plump out, you're ready and willing, and get the
thing done before Lent. What's to hindher you?--shure, you know," she
added, in a whisper, "you'll not get sich a fortune as Anty's in your
way every day. Spake out, man, and don't be afraid of her: take my word
she won't like you a bit the worse for a few kisses."

Martin promised to comply with his sister's advice, and to sound Anty
touching their marriage on the following morning after mass.

On the Sunday morning, at breakfast, the widow proposed to Anty that
she should go to mass with herself and her daughters; but Anty trembled
so violently at the idea of showing herself in public, after her escape
from Dunmore House, that the widow did not press her to do so, although
afterwards she expressed her disapprobation of Anty's conduct to her
own girls.

"I don't see what she has to be afeard of," said she, "in going to
get mass from her own clergyman in her own chapel. She don't think, I
suppose, that Barr