yed to
the hearer; for the fellow was a perfect master of irony.
"Ah! well done Mogue; many a day o' reckoning _he_ has had wid _us_, but
maybe _our_ day o' reckonin' wid _him_ will come sooner than he expects,
or wishes."
"Don't be thinkin' ill," said Mogue, "but keep yourselves always free
from evil. What does Scripthur say? 'One good turn desarves another,'
says Scripthur. Boys, always keep Scripthur before you, and you'll do
right. 'One good turn deserves another,' says Scripthur! and you know
yourselves, I hope, that many a good turn you received at his hands.
That I may be happy, but it's good advice I'm givin' you!"
"Divil a betther, Mogue," replied Hourigan, with a significant scowl,
and "it's we ourselves that'll be sure to take it some fine night."
"Night or day," replied Mogue, "it's always right to be doin' good,
whether we sarve our country or religion. God prosper yez, at all
events, and grant you success in your endeavors, an' that's the worst I
wish you! There now, Masther John's in the office, ready an' willin' to
give sich o' yez a resate in full as will--desarve it."
The situation in which the parties stood, during this dialogue, was at
the rear of the premises into which the proctor's office opened, and
where the country people were always desired to wait. They stood at the
end of the stable, adjoining a wall almost eight feet high, on the
other side of which was the pig-sty. Here, whilst the conversation just
detailed went forward, stood a pretty, plump-looking, country-girl,
one of the female servants of the proctor's establishment, named Letty
Lenehan. She had come to feed the pigs, just in time to catch the
greater portion of their conversation; and, as she possessed a tolerably
clear insight into Mogue's character, she was by no means ignorant
of certain illusions made in it, although she unquestionably did not
comprehend its full drift. We have said that this girl understood his
character very well, and scarcely any one had a better right or greater
opportunities of doing so. Mogue, in fact, was in love with her, or
at least, pretended to be so; but, whether he was or not, one thing we
write as certain, that he most implicitly believed her to be so
with himself. Letty was a well-tempered, faithful girl, honest and
conscientious, but not without a considerable relish for humor, and with
more than ordinary talents for carrying on either a practical joke or
any other piece of harmless hu
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