elcome, too, my darling! But the first
thing is to get you some clothes that won't discover on you. Here 's a
hat I squeezed into my own that 'll just fit you; and I 've a coat here
that 's about your size. That's enough for the present; and as we go
along, I 'll teach you your part, how you are to behave, and he 'll be
no fool that 'll find you out after ten days or a fortnight."

My change of costume was soon effected, and my wound, which turned out
to be a trifling one, looked after. I took a farewell look at the old
walls, and stepped after my companion down the boreen.

"If we make haste," said Darby, "we'll be beyond Shannon Harbor before
day; and then, when we 're on the canal, we 'll easy get a lift in some
of the boats going to Dublin."

"And are you for Dublin?" inquired I, eagerly.

"Yes. I'm to be there on the twenty-fourth of this month, please God.
There 's a meeting of the friends of Ireland to be then, and some
resolutions will be taken about what 's to be done. There 's bad work
going on in the Parliament."

"Indeed, Darby! What is it?"

"Oh! you couldn't understand it well. But it's just as if we war n't to
have anything to say to governing ourselves; only to be made slaves of,
and sent abroad to fight for the English, that always hate us and abuse
us."

"And are we going to bear with this?" cried I, passionately.

"No," said Darby, laying his hand on my shoulder,--"no; not at least
if we had twenty thousand like you, my brave boy. But you'll hear
everything yourself soon. And now, let me attend to your education a
bit, for we're not out of the enemy's country."

Darby now commenced his code of instruction to me, by which I learned
that I was to perform a species of second to him in all minstrelsy; not
exactly on the truest principles of harmony, but merely alternating with
him in the verses of his songs. These, which were entirely of his
own composition, were all to be learned,--and orally, too, for Mister
M'Keown was too jealous of his copyright ever to commit them to
writing, and especially charged me never to repeat any lyric in the same
neighborhood.

"It's not only the robbery I care for," quoth Darby, "but the varmints
desthroys my poethry completely; some' times changing the words,
injuring the sentiments, and even altering the tune. Now, it's only last
Tuesday I heerd 'Behave politely,' to the tune of 'Look how he sarved
me!'"

Besides the musical portion of my education, there w