' from
a rope!"

"Father, sit down here, sit down here upon this bad and comfortless bed,
and keep yourself quiet for a little. Maybe you'll get better soon. Oh,
why did you drink, and us in such trouble?"

"I'll not sit down; I'm very well able to stand," said he, tottering
across the room. "The villain thought to starve me, Connor, but you
heard the sentence that was passed on him to-day. Where's Honor, from
me? she'll be glad, whin--whin she hears it, and my son, Connor, will
too--but he's, he's--where is Connor?--bring me, bring me to Connor. Ah,
avourneen, Honor's heart's breaking for him--'t any rate, the mother's
heart--the mother's heart--she's laid low wid an achin', sorrowful head
for her boy."

"Father, for God's sake, will you try and rest a little? If you could
sleep, father dear, if you could sleep."

"I'll hang P----e--I'll hang him--but if he gives me back my money, I'll
not touch him. Who are you?"

"Father dear, I'm Connor, your own son, Connor."

"I'll marry you and Una, then. I'll settle all the villain robbed me
of on you, and you'll have every penny of it _after my death_. Don't be
keepin' me up, I can walk very well; ay, an' I'm in right good spirits.
Sure, the money's got, Connor--got back every skilleen of it. Ha, ha,
ha, God be praised! God be praised! We've a right to be thankful--the
world isn't so bad afther all."

"Father, will you try and rest?"

"It's not bad, afther all--I won't starve, as I thought I would, now
that the _arrighad_ is got back from the villain. Ha, ha, ha, it's
great, Connor, ahagur!"

"What is it, father dear."

"Connor, sing me a song--my heart's up--it's light--arn't you
glad?--sing me a song."

"If you'll sleep first, father dear."

"The _Uligone_, Connor, or _Shuilagra_, or the _Trougha_--for,
avourneen, avourneen, there must be sorrow in it, for my heart's low,
and your mother's heart's in sorrow, an' she's lyin' far from us, an'
her boy's not near her, an' her heart's sore, sore, and her head achin',
bekase her boy's far from her, and she can't come to him!"

The boy, whose noble fortitude was unshaken during the formidable trial
it had encountered in the course of that day, now felt overcome by
this simple allusion to his mother's love. He threw his arms about his
father's neck, and, placing his head upon his bosom, wept aloud for
many, many minutes.

"Hiisth, Connor, husth, asthore--what makes you cry? Sure, all 'ill
be right now that we've g