hren, I should
do to this fellow?" A hollow sound burst from the bosoms of the unanimous
assembly. The verdict was short and decisive:--"Knock out his brains!" And
in order to suit the action to the word, the whole four-and-twenty arose
at once, and with their immovable eyes fixed firmly on the face of our
hero--who horror struck with the sight as he was, could not close
his--they began to glide slowly but regularly towards him, bending their
line into the form of a crescent, so as to environ him on all sides. In
vain he fled to the door; its massive folds resisted mortal might. In
vain he cast his eyes around in quest of a loophole of retreat--there was
none. Closer and closer pressed on the slowly-moving phalanx, and the
uplifted croziers threatened soon to put their sentence into execution.
Supplication was all that remained--and Larry sunk upon his knees. "Ah!
then," said he, "gintlemin and ancient ould saints as you are, don't kill
the father of a large small family, who never did hurt to you or yours.
Sure, if 'tis your will that I should go to--no matter who, for there's
no use in naming his name--might I not as well make up my mind to go
there, alive and well, stout and hearty, and able to face him,--as with
my head knocked into bits, as if I had been after a fair or a patthern?"
"You say right," said St. Patrick, checking with a motion of his crozier
the advancing assailants, who returned to their seats. "I am glad to see
you coming to reason. Prepare for your journey." "And how, plase your
Saintship, am I to go?" asked Larry. "Why," said St. Patrick, "as Colman
here has guided you so far, he may guide you further. But as the journey
is into foreign parts, where you arn't likely to be known, you had better
take this letter of introduction, which may be of use to you." "And here,
also, Lawrence," said a Dublin Saint--perhaps Michan--"take you this box
also, and make use of it as he to whom you speak shall suggest." "Take a
hold, and a firm one," said St. Colman, "Lawrence, of my cassock, and we'
ll start." "All right behind?" cried St. Patrick. "All right!" was the
reply. In an instant!--vault--table--saints--bell--church, faded into air;
a rustling hiss of wings was all that was heard; and Larry felt his cheek
swept by a current, as if a covey of birds of enormous size were passing
him. (It was, in all probability, the flight of the saints returning to
heaven, but on that point nothing certain has reached us up to