wid you to-night? Sure we're goin' to do what you've
long been axin' us, an' what you first gev us lave to meet here for--an'
by doin' so we've got the fame of bein' not quite right. The villain of
a procthor that suit poor Bob off afore he could look about him, 'ill
resave his pay to-night, anyhow. What say you, boys?"

"No doubt ov it!--All right!--Whoo! sartinly!" they grumbled and shouted
in reply; and then, the whiskey having been brought, the health of
Nanny's absent son, and their companion, was loudly proposed and drank.

"I say, Dick," hiccupped the first speaker, who now began to wax drunk,
"what is your op--op--opinion should, we do to ould Whelan? You know,
I'm (hiccup) not natherally crule, bud suppose (hiccup) we jist cut the
ears off the baste, an' (hiccup) lave him hard ov hearin' for the rest
ov his life!"

"I'm not the man to disagree wid a rasonable iday," ironically answered
Dick.

"What do you say to that, my ould (hiccup) woman?" again asked he,
addressing Nanny, who had drawn near to listen; "suppose we sarve him
that-a-way, will you be (hiccup) satisfied; or maybe you'd sooner we'd
prevint his bein' annoyed wid a cough by (hiccup) cuttin' his informin'
throat!"

While he spoke, an indescribable expression lighted up the old woman's
eye, and she stood a moment, as if a struggle was going on between
long-brooded-over revenge and some newly awakened sympathy. The rest
of the men were busy with other schemes, and did not even hear the last
conversation, for they had before agreed to pay Whelan a visit that
night, and Nanny had eagerly entered into their intentions; for she had
an only son, who, being wild and dissipated, had got connected with the
very gang at present in her cabin, and through Whelan's means (he having
informed against him) was transported. An Irish mother soon looks upon
the faults of a darling child with levity: and when he was torn from her
arms, in the madness of grief she had vowed vengeance against Whelan;
and though he soon after removed to where he then was, she followed him,
and took up her residence on the mountain, where, as she was a stranger,
and had no apparent means of living, a report of her communion with
evil spirits was soon spread abroad. This she rather encouraged than
otherwise, by the advice of the men whom she fixed on as the completers
of her revenge, and by such means the lights and nightly noises were
placed to the account of anything but their real ca