in, for to travel at this rate, would be impossible, any
how, except," she added, "for what I'm carryin', sir, blessed be God for
it!"--peering at me again with more knowing and triumphant look.

"Why that's true," said I, thoughtfully; and then, assuming a bit of
the sacerdotal privilege, and suddenly raising my voice, though I was as
innocent as the child unborn of her meaning,--"that's true; but now
as you appear to be a sensible, pious woman, I hope you-understand the
nature of what you are carrying--and in a proper manner, too, for you
know that's the chief point."

"Why, Father dear, I do my best, avourneen; an' I ought of a sartinty to
know it, bekase blessed Friar Hagan spent three dys instructin' Mat and
myself in it; an' more betoken, that Mat sent him a sack o' phaties,
an' a bag of oats for his trouble, not forgettin' the goose he got
from myself, the Micklemas afther.--Arrah how long is that ago, Katty
a-haygur?" said she, addressing her companion.

"Ten years," said Katty. "Oh! it's more, I'm thinkin'; it's ten years
since poor Dick, God rest his sowl, died, and this was full two years
afore that: but no matther, agra, I'll let your Reverence hear the
prayer, at any rate." She here repeated a beautiful Irish prayer to the
Blessed Virgin, of which that beginning with "Hail, holy Queen!" in the
Roman Catholic prayer-books is a translation, or perhaps the original.
While she was repeating the prayer, I observed her hand in her bosom,
apparently extricating something, which, on being brought out, proved
to be a scapular; she held it up, that I might see it: "Your Reverence,"
said she, "this is the ninth journey of the kind I made: but you don't
wonder now, I bleeve, how stoutly I'm able to stump it."

"You really do stump it stoutly, as you' say," I replied.

"Ay," said she, "an' not a wan' o' me but's as weak as a cat, at home
scarce can put a hand to any thing; but then, your Reverence, my eldest
daughter, Ellish, jist minds the house, an' lots the ould mother mind
the prayers, as I'm not able to do a hand's turn, worth namin'."

"But you appear to be stout and healthy," I observed, "if a person may
judge by your looks."

"Glory be to them that giv it to me then! that I am at the present time,
_padre dheelish_. But don't you know I'm always so durin' this journey;
I've a wicket heart-burn that torments the very life out o' me, all the
year round till this; and what 'ud your Reverence think, but it's su