and stacked it until the markets rose. I know what he got beyond the
rent," proceeded the man, "but divil a rap ever the villain gave me back
of the surplus, but put it in his pocket--and now I and my family are
starving."

"Ay, and," said another, "he took five firkins of as good butter from
me as ever was made by hand, and at his own price, too. What could I
do?--he said it was as a friend he did it; but if I objected to it, he
said he must only seize. May the divil seize him, at any rate, as he
will, the villain, I trust in God! He got to my own knowledge, thirteen
pence a pound for it, and all he allowed me for it was eight pence
halfpenny. May the devil run an auger through him, or baste his sowl wid
it, this night; for of all the villains that ever cursed an estate, he's
the greatest--barrin' the scoundrel that employs him."

A poor but decent-looking man rose up. "I could bear," said he, "his
cheating, or his defrauding me out of my right--I could bear that,
although it's bad enough too; but when I think of the shame and disgrace
his son brought upon my innocent girl, undher his father's roof,
where she was at sarvice--may God curse him this night! My child--my
child--when I think of what she was, and what she is, sure the thought
of it is enough to drive me distracted, and to break my heart. Are we to
live undher sich men? Ought we to allow sich villains to tramp us undher
their feet? When I spoke to his blasted son about ruinin' my child--'My
good fellow,' says he, 'if you don't keep a civil tongue in your head,
I will trot you off the estate--I will send you to graze somewhere else.
It's d--d proud you ought to feel for your daughter having a child by
the like o' me;'--for that's the way--they first injure us, and kick us
about as they plaise, and then laugh at and insult us."

Another man got up. "You all know," said he, "that I hould fourteen
acres in the townland of Augha-Winchal; and when Jerry Grogan went to
America last spring, I offered for his farm of twelve acres, that lay
into my own, marchin it. I offered him the rent he axed, which indeed
was too much at any rate--but it lay so snug to me, that I could take
more out of it than another. 'You shall have the farm, Frank,' said he;
'but if you do, there must be ten pounds of an Imput.'* Well and good,
I paid him the ten pounds, and Paddy Gormly, of Aughadarragh, gave him
another Input for the same farm; and yet, hell bellis the villain, he
gave it to