that. How much did one of ye pay at Ayster or Christmas, these ten
years? Signs on it, Father Luke hasn't a word for ye when he comes
here--he trates ye with contimpt."

Kerry was abashed and terrified. He little knew when he pulled up the
sluice-gate, the torrent that would flow down; and now, would have made
any "amende," to establish a truce again; but Mrs. Branagan was a woman,
and, having seen the subjugation of her adversary, her last thought was
mercy.

"Wickedness, indeed! It's fifty years out of purgatory, sorra less, to
live ten years here, and see what goes on."

"Divil a lie in it," chimed in Kerry, meekly; "there's no denying a word
you say."

"I'd like to see who'd dare deny it--and, sign's on it, there's a curse
on the place--nothing thrives in it."

"Faix, then, ye mustn't say that, any how," said Kerry, insinuatingly:
"_you_ have no rayson to spake again it. 'Twas Tuesday week last I heerd
Father Luke say--it was to myself he said it--'How is Mrs. Branagan,
Kerry?' says he. 'She's well and hearty, your reverence,' says I. 'I'll
tell you what she is, Kerry,' says he, 'she's looking just as I knew her
five-and-thirty years ago; and a comelier, dacenter woman wasn't in the
three baronies. I remember well,' says he, 'I seen her at the fair of
Killarney, and she had a cap with red ribbons.' Hadn't ye a cap with red
ribbons in it?" A nod was the response.

"True for him, ye see he didn't forget it; and says he, 'She took the
shine out of the fair; she could give seven pounds, and half a distance,
to ere a girl there, and beat her after by a neck.'"

"What's that ye're saying?" said Mrs. Branagan, who didn't comprehend
the figurative language of the turf, particularly when coming from
Father Luke's lips.

"I'm saying ye were the purtiest woman that walked the fair-green," said
Kerry, correcting his phraseology.

"Father Luke was a smart little man then himself, and had a nate leg and
foot."

"Killarney was a fine place I'm tould," said Kerry, with a dexterous
shift to change the topic. "I wasn't often there myself, but I heerd it
was the iligant fair entirely."

"So it was," said Mrs. Branagan; "there never was the kind of sport and
divarsion wasn't there. It begun on a Monday and went through the week;
and short enough the time was. There was dancing, and fighting, and
singing, and 'stations,' up to Aghadoe and down again on the bare knees,
and a pilgrimage to the holy well--three times round t