n
the head--bad as it is."

"Musha; then he needn't," replied another; "for if ye mane about Mary
Joyce, he never had a chance of her."

"I'm not saying that he had," said the first speaker; "but he's just as
fond of her; do you mind the way he never gave back one of Phil's blows,
but let him hammer away as fast as he plazed?"

"What was it at all, that Mr. Leslie did?" asked another; "I didn't hear
how it begun yet."

"Nor I either, rightly; but I believe Mary was standing looking at the
dance, for she never foots a step herself--maybe she's too ginteel--and
the young gentleman comes up and axes her for a partner; and something
she said; but what does he do, but put his arm round her waist and gives
her a kiss; and, ye see, the other girls laughed hearty, because they
say, Mary's so proud and high, and thinking herself above them all. Phil
wasn't there at the time; but he heerd it afterwards, and come up to
the tent, as young Mr. Leslie was laving it, and stood before him and
wouldn't let him pass. 'I've a word to say to ye,' says Phil, and
he scarce able to spake with passion; 'that was my sister ye had the
impudence to take a liberty with.' 'Out of the way, ye bogtrotter,' says
Leslie: them's the very words he said; 'out of the way, ye bog-trotter,
or I'll lay my whip across your shoulders.' 'Take that first,' says
Phil; and he put his fist between his two eyes, neat and clean;--down
went the Squire as if he was shot. You know the rest yourselves. The
boys didn't lose any time, and if 'twas only two hours later, maybe the
Joyces would have got as good as they gave."

A heavy groan from poor Owen now stopped the conversation, and they
halted to ascertain if he were worse,--but no; he seemed still sunk in
the same heavy sleep as before, and apparently unconscious of all about
him. Such, however, was not really the case; by some strange phenomenon
of sickness, the ear had taken in each low and whispered word, at the
time it would have been deaf to louder sounds; and every syllable they
had spoken had already sunk deeply into his heart; happily for him, this
was hut a momentary pang; the grief stunned him at once, and he became
insensible.

It was dark night as they reached the lonely cabin where Owen lived,
miles away from any other dwelling, and standing at an elevation of
more than a thousand feet above the plain. The short, sharp barking of a
sheep-dog was the only sound that welcomed them; for the old man had