"Do you hear nothing?"

"Faix I hear enough over my head; that was thunder! Is there any fear of
it getting at the powder, Mary?"

"Divil a fear; don't be unasy about that," said the stout-hearted Mary.
"Can you see nothing at all?"

"Sorra a thing, barrin' the lights up at Carrig-na-curra; they're moving
about there, at a wonderful rate. What's O'Donoghue doing at all?"

"'Tis the young boy, Herbert, is sick," said Mary, as she opened the
door to admit Lanty once more. "The poor child is in a fever. Kerry
O'Leary was down here this evening for lemons for a drink for him. Poor
Kerry! he was telling me, himself has a sore time of it, with that ould
Scotchman that's up there; nothing ever was like him for scoulding, and
barging, and abusing; and O'Donoghue now minds nothing inside or out,
but sits all day long in the big chair, just as if he was asleep. Maybe
he does take a nap sometimes, for he talks of bailiffs, and writs, and
all them things. Poor ould man! it's a bad end, when the law comes with
the grey hairs!"

"They've a big score with yourself, I'll be bound," said Lanty
inquiringly.

"Troth, I'd like to see myself charge them with any thing," said she,
indignantly. "It's to them and their's I owe the roof that's over me,
and my father, and my father's father before me owes it. Musha, it would
become me to take their money, for a trifle of wine and spirits, and tay
and tobacco, as if I wasn't proud to see them send down here--the raal
ould stock that's in it! Lanty, it must be very late by this. I'm afeard
something's wrong up in the bay."

"'Tis that same I was thinking myself," said Lanty, with a sly look
towards the roasted joint, whose savoury odour was becoming a temptation
overmuch for resistance.

"You've a smart baste in the stable," said Mary; "he has eaten his corn
by this time, and must be fresh enough; just put the saddle on him,
Lanty dear, and ride down the road a mile or two--do, and good luck
attend you."

There never was a proposition less acceptable to the individual to whom
it was made; to leave a warm fire-side was bad enough, but to issue
forth on a night it would have been inhumanity to expose a dog to, was
far too much for his compliance; yet Lanty did not actually refuse; no,
he had his own good reasons for keeping fair with Mary M'Kelly; so he
commenced a system of diplomatic delay and discussion, by which time at
least might be gained, in which it was possible the long-expect