rry and Peggy Donovan
placed between her father and Flattery, each struggling to keep them
asunder. Phelim at first had been anxious to set them by the ears,
but his interview with the old woman changed his plan of operations
altogether. With some difficulty he succeeded in repressing their
tendency to single combat, which, having effected, he brought out
Flattery and his niece, both of whom he thus addressed:--

"Be the vestment, Sally, only that my regard an' love for you is
uncommon, I'd break off the affair altogether, so I would."

"An' why would you do so, Phelim O'Toole?" inquired the uncle.

"Bekase," replied Phelim, "you came here an' made a show of me, when I
wished to have no _bruliagh_, at all at all. In regard of Peggy Donovan,
I never spoke a word to the girl about marriage since I was christened.
Saize the syllable! My father brought me down there to gosther awhile,
the other night, an' Paddy sent away for whiskey. An' the curse o'
Cromwell on myself! I should get tossicated. So while I was half-saes
over, the two ould rip set to makin' the match--planned to have us
called--an' me knowin' nothin' about it, good, bad, or indifferent.
That's the thruth, be the sky above us."

"An' what have you to say about the housekeeper, Phelim?"

"Why I don't know yet, who done me there. I was about takin' a farm, an'
my father borried ten guineas from her. Somebody heard it--I suspect Sam
Appleton--an' gave in our names to the priest, to be called, makin' a
good joke of it. All sorts o' luck to them, barrin' good luck, that did
it; but they put me in a purty state! But never heed! I'll find them out
yet. Now go home, both o' you, an' I'll slip down in half an hour, with
a bottle o' whiskey in my pocket. We'll talk over what's to be done.
Sure Sally here, knows that it's my own intherest to marry her and no
one else."

"If my father thought you would, Phelim, he'd not stag, even if he was
to cras the wather!"

"Go home, Sally darlin' till I get this mad Donovan an' his daughter
away. Be all that's beautiful I'll be apt to give him a taste o'
my shillely, if he doesn't behave himself! Half an hour I'll be
clownin--wid the bottle; an' don't you go, Nick, till you see me."

"Phelim," said the uncle, "you know how the case is. You must aither
marry the girl, or take a long voyage, abouchal. We'll have no bouncin'
or palaver."

"Bedad, Mick, I've great patience wid you," said Phelim, smiling: "go
off, I say, both