rview
with the stranger, found herself getting more weak, and requested a
drink of water; but before it could be put to her lips, she laid her
head upon the back of the chair and fainted. Grief, and uproar, and
confusion followed this alarming incident. The presence of mind, so
necessary on such occasions, was wholly lost; one ran here, and another
there, all jostling against each other, without being cool enough to
render her proper assistance. The daughters were in tears, and Bartley
himself was dreadfully shocked by seeing his wife apparently lifeless
before him.

She soon recovered, however, and relieved them from the apprehension of
her death, which they thought had actually taken place. "Mary," said the
husband, "something quare entirely has happened, or you wouldn't be in
this state!"

"Did any of you see a strange woman lavin' the house a minute or two
before ye came in?" she inquired.

"No," they replied, "not a stim of anyone did we see."

"Wurrah dheelish! No?--now is it possible ye didn't?" She then described
her, but all declared they had seen no such person.

"Bartley, whisper," said she, and beckoning him over to her, in a few
words she revealed the secret. The husband grew pale and crossed
himself. "Mother of Saints! childhre," said he, "a _Lianhan Shee_!" The
words were no sooner uttered than every countenance assumed the
pallidness of death; and every right hand was raised in the act of
blessing the person, and crossing the forehead. "_The Lianhan Shee!!_"
all exclaimed in fear and horror--"This day's Friday; God betwixt us an'
harm!"

It was now after dusk, and the hour had already deepened into the
darkness of a calm, moonless, summer night; the hearth, therefore, in a
short time, became surrounded by a circle, consisting of every person in
the house; the door was closed and securely bolted;--a struggle for the
safest seat took place; and to Bartley's shame be it spoken, he lodged
himself on the hob within the jamb, as the most distant situation from
the fearful being known as the _Lianhan Shee_. The recent terror,
however, brooded over them all; their topic of conversation was the
mysterious visit, of which Mrs Sullivan gave a painfully accurate
detail; whilst every ear of those who composed her audience was set, and
every single hair of their heads bristled up, as if awakened into
distinct life by the story. Bartley looked into the fire soberly, except
when the cat, in prowling about the dr