or; at Priest
Flannery's house; at the teetotal reading-room as they call it, where
the people drink cordial made of whiskey, and disturb the neighbourhood
with cracked horns; and we heard that a public demonstration was to be
made."

"Was it a demonstration of joy or of grief?"

"Both, Mr Armstrong! it was mixed. They were to shout and dance for joy
about Father Tyrrel; and howl and curse for grief about O'Connell; and
they did shout and howl with a vengeance. All Thursday, you would have
thought that a legion of devils had been let loose into Kilcullen."

"But did they commit any personal outrages, Mr O'Joscelyn?"

"Wait till I tell you. I soon saw how the case was going to be, and I
determined to be prepared. I armed myself, Mr Armstrong; and so did Mrs
O'Joscelyn. Mrs O'Joscelyn is a most determined woman--a woman of great
spirit; we were resolved to protect our daughters and our infants from
ill-usage, as long as God should leave us the power to do so. We both
armed ourselves with pistols, and I can assure you that, as far as
ammunition goes, we were prepared to give them a hot reception."

"Dear me! This must have been very unpleasant to Mrs O'Joscelyn."

"Oh, she's a woman of great nerve, Mr Armstrong. Mary is a woman of
very great nerve. I can assure you we shall never forget that Thursday
night. About seven in the evening it got darkish, but the horrid yells
of the wild creatures had never ceased for one half-hour; and, a little
after seven, twenty different bonfires illuminated the parish. There
were bonfires on every side of us: huge masses of blazing turf were to
be seen scattered through the whole country."

"Did they burn any thing except the turf, Mr O'Joscelyn?"

"Wait till I tell you, Mr Armstrong. I shall never forget that night;
we neither of us once lay down; no, not for a moment. About eight, the
children were put to bed; but with their clothes and shoes on, for
there was no knowing at what moment and in how sudden a way the poor
innocents might be called up. My daughters behaved admirably; they
remained quite quiet in the drawing-room till about eleven, when we
had evening worship, and then they retired to rest. Their mother,
however, insisted that they should not take off their petticoats or
stockings. At about one, we went to the hall-door: it was then bright
moonlight--but the flames of the surrounding turf overpowered the moon.
The whole horizon was one glare of light."

"But were not