rried? A purty thing for
me just now, to be took up among a lot of blackguard ruffians for
murthering a king's officer."

"Well, Denis, I won't go back now,--it would look odd and do no good;
so do you go back and drink a tumbler of punch with the men, and
dance a turn or two with the girls, as you should on your wedding
night; and by and by I'll come down again as if to see what was going
on--and to walk home with Miss Feemy. The Captain must go back to
Ballycloran for his horse; and if he can be persuaded that there is
any danger, he can go up and sleep at the cottage; for I tell you, if
they mean to hurt him at all, it's on the road home to Mohill they'd
make the attempt. Do you go in and say nothing about it, and I'll be
down by and by."

Father John walked away towards his house, and Denis McGovery went
back with a heavy heart to dance at his own wedding; for though his
solicitude for the "king's officer" would not have been of the most
intense kind, had he thought that he was to be murdered anywhere
else, he had a great horror at the idea of any evil happening to that
important personage, when it could in any way affect his own comfort.

When Denis returned into Mrs. Mehan's big kitchen, the amusements of
the evening--dancing and drinking--were on the point of commencing.
Shamuth of the pipes, the celebrated composer and musician, was
sitting in the corner of the huge fireplace, with a tumbler of punch
within reach of his hand, preparing his instrument,--squeaking, and
puffing, and blowing in the most approved preparatory style. Mary was
working and toiling again for the benefit of her guests--carrying
kettles of boiling water into the inner room--emptying pounds of
brown sugar into slop-basins and mugs--telling the boys to take their
punch--taking a drop herself now and again, with some one who was
wishing her health and happiness, and comfort with the man she'd
got--inciting the girls to go and dance--and scolding her brother and
husband, because, "bad manners to them, divil a hand they'd lend to
help her, and she with so much to do, and so many to mind."

"And now, Miss Feemy, if you'd only get up and begin, dear, the
others would soon folly; come, Captain Ussher--would yer honer jist
stand up with Miss Feemy?"

"Oh, no, Mary,--you're the bride you know; Captain Ussher must dance
with you first."

"Oh! laws, Miss, but that'd be too much honour intirely."

"No, Mrs. McGovery, but it's I that'll be honou