but I'm thinkin' there
will be more fun at this berrin' than any ten weddin's."

"Indeed you may say that, Hoppy, aghra," said Noonan.

"Why thin, Hoppy jewel," said Lanigan, "what did the skirt o' your coat
do to you that you left it behind you, and wouldn't let it see the fun?"

"'Deed then I'll tell you, Larry, my boy. I was goin' last night by
the by-road that runs up at the back o' the owld house, nigh hand the
Widdy Casey's, and I heerd that people was livin' in it since I
thravelled the road last, and so I opened the owld iron gate that was
as stiff in the hinge as a miser's fist, and the road ladin' up to the
house lookin' as lonely as a churchyard, and the grass growin' out
through it, and says I to myself, I'm thinkin' it's few darkens your
doors, says I; God be with the time the owld squire was here, that
staid at home and didn't go abroad out of his own counthry, lettin' the
fine stately owld place go to rack and ruin; and faix I was turnin'
back, and I wish I did, whin I seen a man comin' down the road, and so
I waited till he kem up to me, and I axed if any one was up at the
house; Yis, says he; and with that I heerd terrible barkin' intirely,
and a great big lump of a dog turned the corner of the house and stud
growlin' at me; I'm afeard there's dogs in it, says I to the man; Yis,
says he, but they're quite (quiet); so, with that I wint my way, and he
wint his way; but my jew'l, the minit I got into the yard, nine great
vagabones of dogs fell an me, and I thought they'd ate me alive; and so
they would I blieve, only I had a cowld bones o' mate and some praties
that Mrs. Magrane, God bless her, made me put in my pocket when I was
goin' the road as I was lavin' her house that mornin' afther the
christenin' that was in it, and sure enough lashings and lavings was
there; O that's the woman has a heart as big as a king's, and her
husband too, in throth; he's a dacent man and keeps mighty fine dhrink
in his house. Well, as I was sayin', the cowld mate and praties was in
my pocket, and by gor the thievin' morodin' villains o' dogs made a
dart at the pocket and dragged it clan aff; and thin, my dear, with
fightin' among themselves, sthrivin' to come at the mate, the skirt o'
my coat was in smidhereens in one minit--divil a lie in it--not a
tatther iv it was left together; and it's only a wondher I came off
with my life."

"Faith I think so," said Lanigan; "and wasn't it mighty providintial
they didn't come