e the looky
man that gets Biddy, yet."

"You had betther have her yourself, I think," said Honor, with an arch
look at Larry, full of meaning.

"An' it's that same I've been thinking of for some time," said Larry,
laughing, and returning Honor's look with one that repaid it with
interest "But where is she at all? Oh, here she comes with the duds,
and Mike Noonan afther her; throth, he's following her about all this
mornin' like a sucking calf. I'm afeard Mikee is going to sarcumvint
me wid Biddy; but he'd betther mind what he's at."

Here the conversation was interrupted by the advance of Biddy Mulligan,
"and Mikee Noonan afther her," bearing some grotesque imitation of
clerical vestments made of coarse sacking, and two enormous
head-dresses made of straw, in the fashion of mitres; these were
decorated with black rags hung fantastically about them, while the
vestments were smeared over with black stripes in no very regular order.

"Come here," said Larry to the tithe proctors; "come here, antil we put
you into your regimentals."

"What are you goin' to do with us, Mr. Lanigan?" said the frightened
poor wretch, while his knees knocked together with terror.

"We are just goin' to make a pair o' bishops of you," said Lanigan;
"and sure that's promotion for you."

"Oh, Mr. O'Hara," said the proctor, "sure you won't let them tie us up
in them sacks."

"Do you hear what he calls the iligant vestments we made a' purpose for
him? They are sackcloth, to be sure, and why not--seeing as how that
you are to be the chief murners? and sackcloth and ashes is what you
must be dhressed in, accordin' to rayson. Here, my buck," said the
rollicking Larry, "I'll be your vally de sham myself," and he proceeded
to put the dress on the terrified tithe proctor.

"Oh, Mr. Lanigan dear!" said he, "don't murther me, if you plaze."

"Murther you!--arrah, who's going to murther you? Do you think I'd
dirty my hands wid killin' a snakin' tithe procthor?"

"Indeed, that's thrue, Mr. Lanigan; it would not be worth your while."

"Here now," said Larry, "howld your head till I put the mithre an you,
and make you a bishop complate. But wait a bit; throth, I was nigh
forgettin' the ashes, and that would have been a great loss to both o'
you, bekase you wouldn't be right murners at all without them, and the
people would think you wor only purtendin'." This last bit of Larry's
waggery produced great merriment amongst the by-standers, for