looked up from his large volume, and seemed for a moment
undecided whether he should not ask the meaning of a phrase, which,
occurring at every moment, appeared most perplexing in signification;
but the thought that by doing so, he should confess his ignorance before
the sub-agent, deterred him, and he resolved to leave the interpretation
to time and his own ingenuity.

"What of this old fellow, who has the mill?--has he consented to have
the overshot wheel?"

"He tried it on Tuesday, sir," said Sam, with an almost imperceptible
smile, "and the sluice gave way, and carried off the house and the end of
the barn into the tail race. He's gone in, to take an action again your
honour for the damages."

"Ungrateful rascal! I told him I'd be at the whole expense myself, and I
explained the great saving of water the new wheel would ensure him."

"True, indeed, sir; but as the stream never went dry for thirty years,
the ould idiot thought it would last his time. Begorra, he had enough of
water on Tuesday, anyhow."

"He's a Ballyvourney man, isn't he?"

"He is sir," replied Wylie, with the gravity of a judge.

Another temptation crossed Sir Marmaduke's mind, but he withstood it,
and went on--

"The mountain has then been divided as I ordered, has it?"

"Yes, sir; the lines were all marked out before Saturday."

"Well, I suppose the people were pleased to know, that they have, each,
their own separate pasturage?"

"Indeed, and, sir, I won't tell you a lie--they are not; they'd rather
it was the ould way still."

"What, have I taken all this trouble for nothing then?--is it possible
that they'd rather have their cattle straying wild about the country,
than see them grazing peaceably on their own land?"

"That's just it, sir; for, you see, when they had the mountain among
them, they fed on what they could get; one, had maybe a flock of goats,
another, maybe a sheep or two, a heifer, an ass, or a bullsheen.

"A what?"

"A little bull, your honour; and they didn't mind if one had more nor
another, nor where they went, for the place was their own; but now.
that it is all marked out and divided, begorra, if a beast is got
trespassing, out comes some one with a stick, and wallops him back
again, and then the man that owns him, natural enough, would'nt see
shame on his cow, or whatever it was, and that leads to a fight; and
faix, there's not a day now, but there's blood spilt over the same
boundaries."

"They're actu