ld man, awaking as it were for the
first time to a full perception of his son's situation; "hanged! my boy
hanged! Connor, Connor, don't go from me!"

"I'll die wid him," said the mother; "I'll die wid you, Connor. We
couldn't live widout him," she added, addressing the strangers; "as God
is in heaven we couldn't! Oh Connor, Connor, avourneen, what is it that
has come over us, and brought us to this sorrow?"

The mother's grief then flowed on, accompanied by a burst of that
unstudied, but pathetic eloquence, which in Ireland is frequently
uttered in the tone of wail and lamentation peculiar to those who mourn
over the dead.

"No," she added, with her arms tenderly about him, and her streaming
eyes fixed with a wild and mournful look of despair upon his face; "no,
he is in his loving mother's arms, the boy that never gave to his father
or me a harsh word or a sore heart! Long were we lookin' for him, an'
little did we think it was for this heavy fate that the goodness of God
sent him to us! Oh, many a look of lovin' affection, many a happy heart
did he give us! Many a time Connor, avillish, did I hang over your
cradle, and draw out to myself the happiness and the good that I hoped
was before you. You wor too good--too good, I doubt--to be long in
such a world as this, an' no wondher that the heart of the fair young
colleen, the heart of the _Colleen dhas dhun_ should rest upon you and
love you; for who ever knew you that didn't? Isn't there enough, King
of heaven! enough of the bad an' the wicked in this world for the law to
punish, an' not to take the innocent--not to take away from us the only
one--the only one--I can't--I can't--but if they do--Connor--if they do,
your lovin' mother will die wid you!"

The stern officers of justice wiped their eyes, and were proceeding to
afford such consolation as they could, when Fardorougha, who had sat
down after having made way for Honor to recline on the bosom of their
son, now rose, and seizing the breast of his coat, was about to speak,
but ere he could utter a word he tottered, and, would have instantly
fallen, had not Connor caught him in his arms. This served for a moment
to divert the mother's grief, and to draw her attention from the son
to the husband, who was now insensible. He was carried to the door by
Connor; but when they attempted to lay him in a recumbent posture, it
was found almost impossible to unclasp the deathlike grip which he held
of the coat. His hagga