this account never suffered a mere trifle
to stand between him and the means of acquiring a good name, and
having himself been considered a man of even of a benevolent spirit.
He consequently made some purchase from the pedlar, with whom he held
a very amusing and comic discussion, as touching the prices of many
articles in that worthy's; pack. Nay, he went so far as to give them a
good-humored exhibition of the secrets and peculiarities known only to
the initiated, and bought some small matters in the slang terms with
which none but the trade are acquainted.

"Come, boys," said he, "I have set you a good example; won't you buy
something from the jolly pedlar?"

John and Alick bought some trifling things, and M'Carthy purchased
a pair of bracelets for the girls, which closed the sales for that
morning.

"Well, now," said the pedlar, whilst folding up again the goods which he
had displayed for sale, "upon my profits, Misther Purcel, it's a perfect
delight to me to call here, an' that whether I dale or not--although I'm
sure to do so always when I come. Well, you have all dealt wid me now
for payment, and here goes to give you something for nothing--an, in
truth, it's a commodity that, although always chape, is seldom taken.
'Tis called good advice. The ladies--God bless them, don't stand in need
of it, for sure the darlins' never did anything from Eve downwards, that
'ud require it. Here it is then, Misther Purcel, let you and your sons
do what the ould song says--'be good boys and _take care of yourselves.
Thighin thu?_ (*Do you understand.) An' this gintleman, if I knew his
name, maybe I'd say something to him too."

"This is Mr. M'Carthy, Cannie."

"Ay, M'Carthy--troth 'tis a good ould name. Well, Mr. M'Carthy, all I
have to say to you! is, that _if you happen to meet a man that gives you
good advice, TAKE IT_. An' now God be Wid you all, an' spare you to one
another!"

So saying, he slung his huge pack over his shoulders almost without an
effort, and commencing a merry old Irish song he proceeded lightly and
cheerfully on his journey.

"Well, boys," said the proctor, "now that we've had a good hearty laugh
with the _Cannie Soogah_, let us proceed to business. I see by your red
coats and top-boots, that you're for the hounds to-day, but as I'm in a
hurry, I wish before you go, that you'd see those sneaking devils
that are hanging about the place. Hourigan is there again with fresh
falsehoods--don't be misled