camping towards Ballycloran.

"Why, man," said Father John, "what business have you so far from
your wife at this hour of the morning, after your wedding? Have you
been to take the two pigs home?"

"He, he, Father John, you'll niver have done with them pigs!--But the
wife'll be waiting for me, and, as yer riverence says, I mustn't be
baulking her the first morning."

"Stay a while,--as you've come so far without her, you can stop a
moment."

"Oh yes," said Cullen, "wait till you've told Mr. McGrath what you
told me."

Denis was unwillingly obliged to remain, and repeat to Father John
the whole story he had told Cullen. Though he could hardly tell why
himself, he softened down a little the strong assurance he had given
Cullen that Thady himself had been urging the boys to make away with
Keegan. Father John listened to all in silence, till Denis ended by
wishing "that the two young men got home safe last night, and that
there war nothing worse nor harder than words betwixt them."

"Get home safe, you fool!" answered Father John, "and why wouldn't
they?--don't you know the difference yet, between a few foolish
words, said half in fun, and a quarrel? To be sure they got home
safe;--and let me tell you, Denis, for a sensible fellow as you
pretend to be, you'd be a deal better employed minding your business,
than thinking of other people's quarrels, or trying to pick up
stories of murders, and heaven knows what--filling your own mind
and other people's too with foolish fears, for which there are no
grounds. And now, if you'd take my advice, you'll go home, and leave
your betters to take care of themselves, for you'll find it quite
enough to take care of yourself;--and mind, McGovery, if I find this
cock and bull story of yours gets through the country, so as to reach
Mr. Keegan's ears, or to annoy Mr. Macdermot, I shall know where it
came from; and perhaps you're not aware, that a person inventing such
a story as you've been telling Mr. Cullen, might soon find himself in
Carrick Gaol."

It would be impossible to say whether Cullen was most astonished, or
McGovery disconcerted, by Father John's address.

"But," began Cullen, "if the man really heard the plan proposed, Mr.
McGrath, and if Mr. Thady was one of them--"

"Ah, nonsense, Cullen."

"But I haven't invented a word, Father John," said McGovery; "I heard
it every word; and shure, afther hearing it all with my own ears, was
I to let the man be shot into a bo