anksgiving to God for what she supposed to be the happy event of
Connor's acquittal. Stunning was the blow, however, and dreadful the
revulsion of feelings, occasioned by the discovery of this sad mistake.
When they reached the door she felt still farther persuaded that all
had ended as she wished, for to nothing else, except the wildness of
unexpected joy, could she think of ascribing her husband's intoxication.

"We must carry Fardorougha in," said one of them to the rest; "for the
liquor has fairly overcome him--he's sound asleep."

"He is cleared!" exclaimed the mother; "he is cleared! My heart tells me
he has come out without a stain. What else could make his father, that
never tasted liquor for the last thirty years, be as he is?"

"Honor O'Donovan," said one of them, wringing her hand as he spoke,
"this has been a black day to you all; you must prepare yourself for
bad news."

"Thin Christ and his blessed mother support me, and support us all! but
what is the worst? oh, what is the worst?"

"The _barradh dhu_," replied the man, alluding to the black cap which
the judge puts on when passing sentence of death.

"Well," said she, "may the name of the Lord that sent this upon us be
praised forever! That's no rason why we shouldn't still put our trust
and reliance in him. I will show them, by the help of God's grace, an'
by the assistance of His blessed mother, who suffered herself--an' oh,
what is my sufferin's to her's?--I will show them I say, that I can
bear, as a Christian ought, whatever hard fate it may plase the Saviour
of the earth to lay upon us. I know my son is innocent, an surely,
although it's hard, hard to part with such a boy, yet it's a consolation
to know that he'll be better wid God, who is takin' him, than ever he'd
be wid us. So the Lord's will be done this night and forever! amin!"

This noble display of glowing piety and fortitude was not lost upon
those who witnessed it. After littering these simple but exalted
sentiments, she crossed herself devoutly, as is the custom, and bowed
her head with such a vivid sense of God's presence, that it seemed as if
she actually stood, as no doubt she did, under the shadow of His power.
These men, knowing the force of her love to that son, and the consequent
depth of her misery at losing him by a death so shameful and violent,
reverently took off their hats as she bent her head to express this
obedience to the decrees of God, and in a subdued tone and m