h. He wasn't just ready to come over with
me."

"I'm glad of that," said Anty, who felt that she had to collect her
thoughts before she saw him; and then, after a moment, she added,
"Can't I take my medicine now, doctor?"

"Just before he comes you'd better have it, I think. One of the girls
will step up and give it you when he's below. He'll want to speak a
word or so to Mrs Kelly before he comes up."

"Spake to me, docthor!" said the widow, alarmed. "What'll he be spaking
to me about? Faix, I had spaking enough with him last time he was
here."

"You'd better just see him, Mrs Kelly," whispered the, doctor. "You'll
find him quiet enough, now; just take him fair and asy; keep him
downstairs a moment, while Jane gives her the medicine. She'd better
take it just before he goes to her, and don't let him stay long,
whatever you do. I'll be back before the evening's over; not that I
think that she'll want me to see her, but I'll just drop in."

"Are you going, doctor?" said Anty, as he stepped up to the bed. He
told her he was. "You've told Mrs Kelly, haven't you, that I'm to see
Barry alone?"

"Why, I didn't say so," said the doctor, looking at the widow; "but I
suppose there'll be no harm--eh, Mrs Kelly?"

"You must let me see him alone, dear Mrs Kelly!"

"If Doctor Colligan thinks you ought, Anty dear, I wouldn't stay in the
room myself for worlds."

"But you won't keep him here long, Miss Lynch--eh? And you won't excite
yourself?--indeed, you mustn't. You'll allow them fifteen minutes, Mrs
Kelly, not more, and then you'll come up;" and with these cautions, the
doctor withdrew.

"I wish he was come and gone," said the widow to her elder daughter.
"Well; av I'd known all what was to follow, I'd niver have got out of
my warm bed to go and fetch Anty Lynch down here that cowld morning!
Well, I'll be wise another time. Live and larn they say, and it's
thrue, too."

"But, mother, you ain't wishing poor Anty wasn't here?"

"Indeed, but I do; everything to give and nothin to get--that's not the
way I have managed to live. But it's not that altogether, neither. I'm
not begrudging Anty anything for herself; but that I'd be dhriven to
let that blagguard of a brother of hers into the house, and that as a
frind like, is what I didn't think I'd ever have put upon me!"

Barry made his appearance about an hour after the time at which they
had begun to expect him; and as soon as Meg saw him, one of them flew
upstairs, t