m; "but,
before you do, I suppose you are as you ought to be."

M'Carthy, who really was in a frightful state of thirst, determined at
once to put on the reckless manner of a wild and impetuous Irishman, who
set all law and established institutions at defiance.

"You suppose I am as I ought to be," he exclaimed, with a look of
contempt; "why, thin, I suppose so too: in the mane time, an' before you
bother me wid more gosther, I'd thank you to give me a drink o' whisky
and wather--for, to tell you the truth, blast me but I think there's a
confligration on a small scale goin' an inwardly; hurry, boys, or I'll
split. Ah, boys, if you but knew what I wint through the last three days
an' three nights."

"And what did you go through it all for?" asked the principal of them,
with something of distrust in his manner.

"What did I go through it fwhor? fwhy, thin, fwhor the sake o' the
trewth--I'm a Gaaulway man, boys, and it isn't in Can-naught you'll
fwhind the man that's afeard to do fwhat's right: here's aaul your
healths, and that everything may soon be as it ought to be."

"Well," said the other, "you are a Can-naught man sartainly, that's
clear from your tongue; but I want to axe you a question.'

"Fwhy nat? it's but fair,--it's but fair, I say,--take that wit j'ou,
an' I'm the boy that will answer it, if I can, bekaise you know, or
maybe you don't--but it's a proverb we have in Cannaught wit us--that
a fool may ax a question that a wise man couldn't answer: well, what is
it?"

"Who brought you here to-night?"

"Who brought me here to-night? fwhy, thin, I'll tell you as much of it
as I like--_He_ did."

"Be japers it's a lie, beggin' your pardon, my worthy Cannaught man.
_He_ couldn't be here to-night. I know where he was the greater part
of the night, and the thing's impossible. I don't know you, but we must
know you--ay, and we will know you."

"Trath an' I must know you, thin, and that very soon," replied M'Carthy.

"Come into the next room, then," said the other.

"Anywhere you like," he replied, "I'm wit you; but I'm not the boy to be
humbugged, or to bear your thricks upon thravellers."

"Now," said the other, when they had got into the room where the corpse
lay, "shake hands."

They accordingly shook hands, and M'Carthy gave him the genuine grip, as
he had been taught it by the Whiteboy.

"Right," said the man, "for so far; now, what's the hour?"

"Very near the right one."

"Isn't it come yet?