nt of everything. But on one
occasion, towards the latter half of the afternoon, he went alone.
There were different wooden barriers, having sluice gates passing
between them, over which he would walk, and at present there were
sheep on the upper meadows, on which the luxuriant grass had begun to
grow in the early summer. He was looking at his sheep now, and
thinking to himself that he could find a market for them in spite of
all that the boycotters could do to prevent him. But in one corner,
where the meadows ceased, and Pat Carroll's land began, he met an old
man whom he had known well in former years, named Con Heffernan. It
was absolutely the case that he, the landlord, did not at the present
moment know who occupied Pat Carroll's land, though he did know that
he had received no rent for the last three years. And he knew also
that Con Heffernan was a friend of Carroll's, or, as he believed, a
distant cousin. And he knew also that Con was supposed to have been
one of those who had assisted at the destruction of the sluice gates.

"Well, Con; how are you?" he said.

"Why thin, yer honour, I'm only puirly. It's bad times as is on us
now, indeed and indeed."

"Whose fault is that?" said the squire.

"Not yer honour's. I will allys say that for your honour. You never
did nothing to none of us."

"You had land on the estate till some twelve months since, and then
you were evicted for five gales of rent."

"That's thrue, too, yer honour."

"You ought to be a rich man now, seeing that you have got
two-and-a-half years' rent in your pocket, and I ought to be poor,
seeing that I've got none of it."

"Is it puir for yer honour, and is it rich for the like of me?"

"What have you done with the money, Con,--the five gales of rent?"

"'Deed, yer honour, and I don't be just knowing anything about it."

"I suppose the Landleaguers have had some of it."

"I suppose they have, thin; the black divil run away with them for
Laaguers!"

"Have you quarrelled with the League, Con?"

"I have quarrelled with a'most of the things which is a-going at the
present moment."

"I'm sorry for that, as quarrels with old friends are always bad."

"The Laague, then, isn't any such old friend of mine. I niver heerd
of the Laague, not till nigh three years ago. What with Faynians, and
moonlighters, and Home-Rulers, and now with thim Laaguers, they don't
lave a por boy any pace."

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