eside my daughter, I'm prouder to see you
on my own flure, the husband of my child, nor if she'd got a man with
four times your substance.'

"'Never heed the girls for knowing where to choose,' says his Reverence,
slyly enough: 'but, upon my word, only she gave us all the slip, to tell
the truth, I had another husband than Shane in my eye for her, and that
was my own nevvy, Father James's brother here.'

"'And I'd be proud of the connection,' says my father-in-law, 'but you
see, these girls won't look much to what you or I'll say, in choosin' a
husband for themselves. How-and-iver, not making little of your nevvy,
Father Michael, I say he's not to be compared with that same bouchal
sitting beside Mary there.'

"'No, nor by the powdhers-o-war, never will,' says Billy M'Cormick the
tailor, who had come over and slipped in on the other side betune Father
Corrigan and the bride--'by the powdhers-o' war, he'll never be fit to
be compared with me, I tell you, till yesterday comes back again.'

"'Why, Billy,' says the priest, 'you're every place.' 'But where I ought
to be!' says Billy; 'and that's hard and fast tackled to Mary Bane, the
bride here, instead of that steeple of a fellow she has got,' says the
little cock.

"'Billy, I thought you were married,' said Father Corrigan.

"'Not I, your Reverence,' says Billy;' but I'll soon do something,
Father Michael--I have been threatening this longtime, but I'll do it at
last'

"'He's not exactly married, Sir, says my uncle 'but there's a colleen
present' (looking at the bridesmaid) 'that will soon have his name upon
her.'

"'Very good, Billy,' says the priest, 'I hope you will give us a rousing
wedding-equal, at least, to Shane Fadh's.'

"'Why then, your Reverence, except I get sich a darling as Molly
Bane, here--and by this and that, it's you that is the darling Molly
asthore--what come over me, at all at all, that I didn't think of
you,' says the little man, drawing close to her, and poor Mary smiling
good-naturedly at his spirit.

"'Well, and what if you did get such a darling as Molly Bane, there?'
says his Reverence.

"'Why, except I get the likes of her for a wife--upon second thoughts,
I don't like marriage, any way,' said Billy, winking against the
priest--'I lade such a life as your Reverence; and by the powdhers, it's
a thousand pities that I wasn't made into a priest, instead of a tailor.
For, you see, if I had' says he, giving a verse of an old song--