thing to be dhriving the
life out of yer very heart. I am cowld within me, and divil a word
I'll spake, till I dhriv it out of me with the sperrits," and he
poured the glass of whiskey down his throat, as though he was pouring
it into a pitcher. "And now, my boys, you'll see Joe Reynolds 'll
talk may be as well as any of you. Give us a draw of the pipe, Pat."

He took the pipe from Pat's hand, and stuck it in his mouth.

"Well, Jack, I see'd your brother in Carrick; and I towld him how
you'd done all you could for him, and pawned the clothes off your
back to scrape the few shillings together for him; and what d'ye
think he'd have me do then? why he towld me to take the money to
Hyacinth Keegan, Esq., jist to stand to him and get him off. Why he
couldn't do it, not av he was to give his sowl--and that's not his
own to give, for the divil has it; and av he could, he wouldn't walk
across Carrick to do them a good turn--though, by Jasus, he'd be
quick enough pocketing the brads. Begad, Jack, and it's cowld you're
looking without the frieze; come and warm your shins, my boy, and
take a draw out of Pat's pipe."

"And Joe," said Pat, "what magisthrates war there in it?"

"Why, there war Sir Michael, and Counsellor Webb, and there war that
black ruffian Jonas Brown."

"And they jist sent him back to gaol agin, Joe?"

"No, they didn't! Counsellor Webb stuck to the boys hard and fast,
while he could; both his own boys and poor Tim; and that he may never
sup sorrow; for he proved hisself this day the raal friend to the
poor man--"

"But it war all no good in the end?"

"Divil a good. That thief of the world, old Brown, after axing Ussher
a sight of questions, was sthrong for sending 'em back; and then
Counsellor Webb axed Ussher how he could prove that the boys knew the
stuff was in it; and he, the black-hearted viper, said, that warn't
necessary, so long as they war in the same house; and then they
jawed it out ever so long, and Ussher said as how the whole counthry
through war worse than ever with the stills; and Counsellor Webb said
that war the fault of the landlords; and Brown said, he hoped they'd
take every mother's son of 'em as they could lay hands on in the
counthry, and bring 'em there; and so they jawed it out a long while;
and then, Sir Michael, who'd niver said a word at all, good, bad,
or indifferent, said, as how Paddy Byrne and Smith war to pay each
twenty pounds, and Tim ten, or else to go to gaol as lo