with a calm nod handed
it to me to drink. I shrank back, with an instinctive horror, at the
profaneness of such an act, in the house, and on the altar of God, and
peremptorily refused to taste the proffered I draught. He smiled mildly
at what he considered my superstition, and added quietly, and in a low
voice, "You'll be wantin' it I'm thinkin', afther the wettin' you
got."

"Wet or dry," said I--

"Stop, man!" he replied, in the same tone; "spake low. But why wouldn't
you take the whiskey? Sure there's as holy people to the fore as you:
didn't they all take it? An' I wish we may never do worse nor dhrink a
harmless glass o' whiskey, to keep the cowld out, any way."

"Well," said I, "I'll jist trust to God and the consequences, for the
cowld, Paddy, ma bouchal; but a blessed dhrop of it won't be crossin' my
lips, avick; so no more ghostlier about it;--dhrink it yourself if you
like. Maybe you want it as much as I do; wherein I've the patthern of
a good big-coat upon me, so thick, your sowl, that if it was rainin'
bullocks, a dhrop wouldn't get undher the nap of it."

He gave me a calm, but keen glance as I spoke.

"Well, Jim," said he, "it's a good comrade you've got for the weather
that's in it; but, in the manetime, to set you a dacent patthern, I'll
just take this myself,"--saying which, with the jar still upon its
side, and the fore-finger of his left hand in his neck, he swallowed
the spirits--"It's the first I dhrank to-night," he added, "nor would
I dhrink it now, only to show you that I've heart an' spirit to do the
thing that we're all bound an' sworn to, when the proper time comes;"
after which he laid down the glass, and turned up the jar, with much
coolness, upon the altar.

During our conversation, those who had been summoned to this mysterious
meeting were pouring in fast; and as each person approached the altar,
he received from one to two or three glasses of whiskey, according as he
chose to limit himself; but, to do them justice, there were not a few
of those present, who, in despite of their own desire, and the Captain's
express invitation, refused to taste it in the house of God's worship.
Such, however, as were scrupulous he afterwards recommended to take it
on the outside of the chapel door, which they did, as, by that means,
the sacrilege of the act was supposed to be evaded.

About one o'clock they were all assembled except six: at least so the
Captain asserted, on looking at a written pa