to banish
them once and forever, and be content only with myself.

"Seriously, my dear Kathleen, I believe I am half-crazed; and, if so,
you are the sole cause of it. I can think of no other object than your
beautiful self; and I need scarcely say, that I shall have neither peace
nor happiness unless I shall be fortunate enough to gain a place in your
tender bosom. As for the Ahadarra man, I am surprised you should think of
such an ignorant clodhopper--a fellow whose place Providence especially
allotted to between the stilts of a plough, and at the tail of a pair
of horses. Perhaps you would be kind enough to take a walk on Thursday
evening, somewhere near the river--where I hope I shall have an
opportunity of declaring my affection for you in person. At all events I
shall be there with the ardent expectation of meeting you.

"Ever your devoted worshipper,

"Hycy Burke.

"P.S.--Beware the clodhopper--bow wow!--ho! ho!"

On looking at the back of this singular production he was thunderstruck
to perceive that it was addressed to "Mr. Bryan M'Mahon, Ahadarra"--the
fact being that, in the hurry of the moment, he had misdirected the
letters--Bryan M'Mahon having received that which had been intended for
Kathleen, who, on the contrary, was pressingly solicited to lend him
thirty-fine pounds in order to secure "Crazy Jane."

Having perused this precious production, Hycy, in spite of his chagrin,
was not able to control a most irresistible fit of laughter, in which he
indulged for some minutes. The mistake being now discovered in Bryan's
case was necessarily discovered in that of both, a circumstance which
to Hycy, who now fully understood the mature and consequences of his
blunder, was, as we have stated, the subject of extraordinary mirth, in
which, to tell the truth, Bryan could not prevent himself from joining
him.

"Well, but after all, Bryan," said he, "what is there in this letter
to make you angry with me? Don't you see it's a piece of humbug from
beginning to end."

"I do, and I did," replied Bryan; "but at that time I had never spoken
upon the subject of love or marriage to Kathleen Cavanagh, and I had no
authority nor right to take any one to task on her account, but, at the
same time, I couldn't even then either like or respect, much less lend
money to, any man that could humbug her, or treat such a girl with
disrespect--and in that letther you can't deny that you did both."

"I grant," said Hycy, "that