th a grin, "I suppose the ould chap is hard set
on that point; who the devil else would kiss him, barrin' some she ghost
or other? Some luckless ould maid, I'll go bail, that gather a beard
while she was here, and the devil now is kissin' it off to get seein'
what kind of a face she has. Well, all I can say," he proceeded, "is,
that I wish him luck of his employment, for in troth it's an honorable
one and he has a right to be proud of it."

"Well, well," said the housemaid, "it's a wondher how any one can walk
by themselves at night; wasn't it near the well at the foot of the long
hill that goes up to where the Davorens live that they were seen?"

"It was," replied Barney; "at laste they say so."

"And didn't yourself tell me," she proceeded, "that that same lonesome
boreen is a common walk at night wid Master Harry?"

"And so it is, Nanse," replied Barney: "but as for Misther Harry, I
believe it's party well known, that by night or by day he may walk where
he likes."

"Father of heaven!" they exclaimed in a low, earnest voice; "but why,
Barney?" they asked in a condensed whisper.

"Why! Why is he called _Harry na Suil Balor_ for? Can you tell me that?"

"Why, bekaise his two eyes isn't one color."

"And why aren't they one color? Can you tell me that?"

"O, the sorra step farther I can go in that question."

"No," said Barney, full of importance, "I thought not, and what is more,
I didn't expect it from you. His mother could tell, though. It's in her
family, and there's worse than that in her family."

"Troth, by all accounts," observed the girl, "there never was anything
good in her family. But, Barney, achora, will you tell us, if you know,
what's the rason of it?"

"If I know?" said Barney, rather offended; "maybe I don't know, and
maybe I do, if it came to that. Any body, then, that has two eyes of
different colors always has the Evil Eye, or the _Suil Balor_, and has
the power of overlookin'; and, between ourselves, Masther Harry has it.
The misthress herself can only overlook cattle, bekaise both her eyes is
of the one color; but Masther Harry could overlook either man or woman
if he wished. And how do you think that comes?"

"The Lord knows," replied the cook, crossing herself; "from no good, at
any rate. Troth, I'll get a gospel and a scapular, for, to tell you the
truth, I observed that Masther Harry gave me a look the other day that
made my flesh creep, by rason that he thought the mutton was ov