follow Larry's. I, myself, heard his brother Tom
say, afterwards, that a Banshee used always to be heard before any of
them died."

* The Banshee in Ireland is, or rather was, said to follow
only particular families--principally the Old Milesians. It
appeared or was heard before the death of any member of the
family. Its form was always that of a female--weeping,
wailing, wringing its hands, and uttering the national
keene, or lamentation for the dead. Banshee signifies gentle
woman.

"Did his brother hear it?" Ned inquired.

"He did," said Tom, "and his wife along with him, and knew, at once,
that some death would happen in the family--but it wasn't long till he
suspected who it came for; for, as he was going to bed that night, on
looking towards his own hearth, he thought he saw his brother standing
at the fire, with a very sorrowful face upon him. 'Why, Larry,' says he,
'how did you get in, after me barring the door?--or did you turn back
from helping them with the corn? You surely hadn't time to go half the
way since.'

[Illustration: PAGE 713-- 'Why, Larry,' says he, 'how did you get in']

"Larry, however, made him no answer; and, on looking for him again,
there was no Larry there for him. 'Nelly,' says he to his wife,
'did you see any sight of Larry since, he went to the still-house?'
'Arrah, no indeed, Tom,' says she; 'what's coming over you to spake to
the man that's near Drum-furrar by this time?' 'God keep him from harm!'
said Tom;--'poor fellow, I wish nothing ill may happen him this night!
I'm afeard, Nelly, that I saw his _fetch_;* and if I did, he hasn't long
to live; for when one's fetch is seen at this time of night, their lase
of life, let them be sick or in health, is always short.'

* This in the North of Ireland is called wraith, as in
Scotland. The Fetch is a spirit that assumes the likeness of
a particular person. It does not appear to the individual
himself whose resemblance it assumes, but to some of his
friends. If it is seen in the morning, it betokens long
life; if after sunset, approaching death; after nightfall,
immediate death.

"'Hut, Tom aroon!' says Nelly, 'it was the shadow of the jamb or
yourself you saw in the light of the candle, or the shadow of the
bed-post.'

"The next morning they were all up, hoping that he would drop in to
them. Sally got a creel of turf, notwithstanding her condition, and put
dow