e necessity of adopting the phraseology he proposed--that
they might treat him with suitable respect in the eye of the world.

"It's proud of him we ought to be," said his father, "and delighted that
he has sich a risin' spirit; an' sure the more respect is paid to him
the greater credit he will be to ourselves."

"But, sure he has no right," said his eldest brother, "to be settin' up
for a gentleman till he's priested. I'm willin' enough to sir him, only
that it cuts me more than I'll say, to think that I must be callin' the
boy that I'd spill the dhrop of my blood for, afther I the manner of a
sthranger; and besides," he added, "I'm not clear but the neighbors
will be passin' remarks upon us, as they did when you and he used to be
arguin'."

"I'd like to see them that 'ud turn it into a joke," said his father;
"I would let them know that Dinis O'Shaughnessy's dog is neither to be
made or meddled wid in a disrespectful manner, let alone his son. We are
not widout friends and connections that 'ud take our quarrel upon them
in his defince, if there was a needcessity for it; but there will not,
for didn't my heart lep the other day to my throat wid delight, when I
saw Larry Neil put his hand to his hat to him, comin' up the Esker upon
the mare; and may I never do an ill turn, if he didn't answer the bow to
Larry, as if he was the priest of the parish already. It's the wondher
of the world how he picks up a jinteel thing any how, an' ever did,
since he was the hoith o' that."

"Why," said the mother, "what a norration yez rise about thratin' the
boy as every one like him ought to be thrated. Wait till ye see him a
parish priest, and then yell be comin' round him to get your daughters
to keep house for him, and your sons edicated and made priests of; but
now that the child takes a ginteel relish for beef and mutton, and wants
to be respected, ye are mane an' low spirited enough to grumble about
it."

"No mother," said his youngest sister, bursting into tears, "I'd beg it
for him, sooner nor he should want; but I can't bear to be callin' my
brother Dinny--sir--like a stranger. It looks as if I didn't love him,
or as if he was forgettin' us, or carin' less about us nor he used to
do."

This, in fact, was the root and ground of the opposition which Denis's
plan received at the hands of his relations; it repressed the cordial
and affectionate intercourse which had hitherto subsisted between them;
but the pride of life, a