onzed and hardy fisherman, told upon my
heart. I felt it was my home.

"Isn't it beautiful, sir? Isn't it illigant?" said a voice behind me, which
there could be little doubt in my detecting, although I had not seen the
individual since I left England.

"Is not what beautiful?" replied I, rather harshly, at the interruption of
my own thoughts.

"Ireland, to be sure; and long life to her!" cried he, with a cheer that
soon found its responsive echoes in the hearts of our sailors, who seconded
the sentiment with all their energy.

"How am I to get up to Cork, lads?" said I. "I am pressed for time, and
must get forward."

"We'll row your honor the whole way, av it's plazing to you."

"Why, thank you, I'd rather find some quicker mode of proceeding."

"Maybe you'd have a chaise? There's an elegant one at M'Cassidy's."

"Sure, the blind mare's in foal," said the bow oar. "The devil a step she
can go out of a walk; so, your honor, take Tim Riley's car, and you'll get
up cheap. Not that you care for money; but he's going up at eight o'clock
with two young ladies."

"Oh, be-gorra!" said the other, "and so he is. And faix, ye might do worse;
they're nice craytures."

"Well," said I, "your advice seems good; but perhaps they might object to
my company."

"I've no fear; they're always with the officers. Sure, the Miss
Dalrymples--"

"The Miss Dalrymples! Push ahead, boys; it must be later than I thought. We
must get the chaise; I can't wait."

Ten minutes more brought us to land.

My arrangements were soon made, and as my impatience to press forward
became greater the nearer I drew to my destination, I lost not a moment.

The yellow chaise--sole glory of Cove--was brought forth at my request; and
by good fortune, four posters which had been down the preceding evening
from Cork to some gentleman's seat near were about to return. These were
also pressed into my service; and just as the first early riser of the
little village was drawing his curtain to take a half-closed eye-glance
upon the breaking morning, I rattled forth upon my journey at a pace which,
could I only have secured its continuance, must soon have terminated my
weary way.

Beautiful as the whole line of country is, I was totally unconscious of it;
and even Mike's conversational powers, divided as they were between myself
and the two postilions, were fruitless in arousing me from the deep
pre-occupation of my mind by thoughts of home.

It was, th