; "for they
had neither stop nor stay at it."

"There is a villing among us sartainly," observed Mrs. O'Brien; "for
as heaving is above me, I locked it wid my own two hands this blessed
night."

"I thought it might be wid the kay, Bridget," said the Bodagh, laughing
at his own easy joke; "for you see, doors is ginerally locked wid
kays--ha! ha! ha!"

"Faix, but had Oona been tuck away tonight wid that vag o' the world,
it's not laughin' you'd be."

"God, He sees, that's only thruth, too, Bridget," he replied; "but
still there's some rogue about the place that opened the door for the
villins."

"_Dar ma chuirp_, I'll hould goold I put the saddle on the right horse
in no time," said Biddy. "Misthress, will you call Kitty Lowry, ma'am,
i' you plase? Ill do everything above boord; no behind backs for me;
blazes to the one alive hates foul play more nor I do."

We ought to have observed that one of Biddy's peculiarities was a more
than usual readiness at letting fly, and not unfrequently at giving an
oath; and as her character presented a strange compound of simplicity
and cleverness, honesty and adroitness, her master and mistress, and
fellow-servants, were frequently amused by this unfeminine propensity.
For instance, if Una happened to ask her, "Biddy, did you iron the
linen?" her usual reply was, "No, blast the iron, miss, I hadn't time."
Of course the family did everything in their power to discourage such
a practice; but on this point they found it impossible to reform her.
Kitty Lowry's countenance, when she appeared, certainly presented strong
indications of guilt; but still there was a hardness of outline about
it which gave promise at the same time of the most intrepid assurance.
Biddy, on the. other hand, was brimful of consequence, and a sense
of authority, on finding that the judicial power was on this occasion
entrusted chiefly to her hands. She rose up when Kitty entered, and
stuck a pair of red formidable fists with great energy into her sides.

"Pray ma'am," said she, "what's the raisin' you refused to let me in
to-night, afther gettin' away wid my life from that netarnal blackguard,
Bartle Flanagan--what's the raisin I say, ma'am, that you kep' me out
afther you knewn who was in it?"

There was here visible a slight vibration of the head, rather gentle
at the beginning, but clearly prophetic of ultimate energy, and an
unequivocal determination to enforce whatever she might say with
suitable actio