lemen.

"Faith, I'm not able to say, most learned Philomath; only, is it true
that Bryan, the clodhopper, has matrimonial designs upon the fair
daughter of the regal Cavanagh?"

"_Sic vult fama_, Mr. Hycy, upon condition that a certain accomplished
young gentleman, whose surname commences with the second letter of
the alphabet, won't offer--for in that case, it is affirmed, that the
clodhopper should travel. By the way, Mr. Clinton, I met your uncle and
Mr. Fethertonge riding up towards Ahadarra this morning."

"Indeed!" exclaimed both; and as they spoke, each cast a look of inquiry
at the other.

"What could bring them to Ahadarra, gentlemen?" asked Finigan, in a tone
of voice which rendered it a nice point to determine whether it was a
simple love of knowledge that induced him to put the question, or some
other motive that might have lain within a kind of ironical gravity that
accompanied it.

"Why, I suppose a pair of good horses," replied Hycy, "and their own
inclination."

"It was not the last, at all events," said Finigan, "that ever brought
a thief to the gallows--ha! ha! ha! we must be facetious sometimes, Mr.
Hycy."

"You appear to enjoy that joke, Mr. Finigan," said Hycy, rather tartly.

"Faith," replied Finigan, "it's a joke that very few do enjoy, I think."

"What is?"

"Why, the gallows, sir--ha! ha! ha! but don't forget the O if you
plaise--ever and always the big O before Finigan--ha! ha! ha!"

"Come, Clinton," said Hycy, "move on a little. D--n that fellow!" he
cried--"he's a sneering scoundrel; and I'm half inclined to think he has
more in him than one would be apt to give him credit for."

"By the way, what could the visit to Ahadarra mean?" asked Clinton. "Do
you know anything about it, Hycy?"

"Not about this; but it is very likely that I shall cause them, or
one of them at least, to visit it on some other occasion ere long; and
that's all I can say now. Curse that keening, what a barbarous practice
it is!'

"I think not," said the other; "on the contrary, I am of opinion that
there's something strikingly wild and poetical in it something that
argues us Irish to be a people of deep feeling and strong imagination:
two of the highest gifts of intellect."

"All stuff," replied the accomplished Hycy, who, among his other
excellent qualities, could never afford to speak a good word to his
country Or her people. "All stuff and barbarous howling that we
learned from the wolves when we ha