f his conduct, added to the
nervousness produced by drink, had both combined to produce irritability
of temper, he addressed himself more harshly to his brother than he had
ever done in his life before. Frank, for the sake of peace, gave up the
task, although he saw clearly enough that the christening was likely to
terminate, at least so far as Art was concerned, in nothing less than
a drunken debauch. This, indeed, was true. Little Toal, who drank more
liquor than any two among them, and Frank himself, were the only sober
persons present, all the rest having successfully imitated the example
set them by Art, who was carried to bed at an early hour in the evening.
This was but an indifferent preparation for his resolution to commence
work on Monday morning, as the event proved. When the morning came,
he was incapable of work; a racking pain in the head, and sickness of
stomach, were the comfortable assurances of his inability. Here was
another day lost; but finding that it also was irretrievably gone, he
thought it would be no great harm to try the old cure--a hair of the
dog--as before, and it did not take much force of reasoning to persuade
himself to that course. In this manner he went on, losing day after day,
until another week was lost. At length he found himself in his workshop,
considerably wrecked and debilitated, striving with tremulous and
unsteady hands to compensate for his lost time; it was now, however,
too late--the evil habit had been contracted--the citadel had been
taken--the waters had been poisoned at their source--the small track
with the naked foot had been made. From this time forward he did little
but make resolutions to-day, which he broke tomorrow; in the course of
some time he began to drink with his own workmen, and even admitted his
apprentices to their potations. Toal Finnigan, and about six or eight
dissolute and drunken fellows, inhabitants of Ballykeerin, were his
constant companions, and never had they a drinking bout that he was
not sent for: sometimes they would meet in his own workshop, which was
turned into a tap-room, and there drink the better part of the day. Of
course the workmen could not be forgotten in their potations, and, as a
natural consequence, all work was suspended, business at a stand, time
lost, and morals corrupted.

His companions now availed themselves of his foibles, winch they drew
out into more distinct relief. Joined to an overweening desire to
hear himself p