and the Barcelony without farther payment than keeping a secret." "I'll do that," she answered, "without ribbon or Barcelony handkerchief.” "I believe you. But, tell me, has that im pudent fellow left the kitchen ?" "Just rise your new eye, an' the ould one along with it, that's as good as new,—without risin' your head, Sir,-to the winder." He did as Kitty directed him, and the face of Rattling Bill appeared for an instant at the glass. "How got he there, Kitty ?" 66 drew. Through the cabbage-garden." She with "Does any one know," resumed Mr. Mac Nevitt aloud, "a juggling fellow whom I met abroad in the kitchen ?" "You mane Rattlin' Bill Nale, Sir," answered Peter Rooney; "a useful boy he is: swearin' in more o' the Waxford army o' freedom than any ten of us." "I feared he had the aspect of a spy when he gave me the sign; but since he is thus answered for, I can fear nothing. Yet, Peter my friend, be on your guard. There are many mean and base adventurers going about in the same way, only to fill their pouches with bloodmoney." 66 Peter again answered for his colleague; and now leaving this, as the little tailor called it, Upper-baronial," to complete its sitting, how and when it chooses, we propose, after a single glance into the kitchen, to follow Bill Nale through others of his movements. Tim Reily, in consequence of his master's instructions to wait upon the stranger returning to Shawn-a-Gow's, after he had seen Sir Thomas safe at home, checked his bounding step outside the kitchen-door, and stole safely through it. "She doesn't see the laste taste o' me," he /soliloquized, advancing still cautiously to the spot where, having just turned her back to the door, Kitty stood by her mother's side, busily employed in doing something that it would have been no great waste of time if she had left undone. Indeed, to let the reader into a secret, (which we do, as some recompense for his patience regarding other secrets not yet revealable) Tim Reily was Kitty's most approved sweetheart. He was a man after her own mind; gay, good-humoured, good-natured, and frolic some; and some personal affinity also existed. between them; for if Kitty was a pretty girl, Tim was a "clane, clever boy," in the estimation, at least, of her hazel eyes. "No," continued Tim, as he stole nearer, "she doesn't know a bit, I'm comin' close on her-not she!" and whether he was right or wrong in ironically attributing this piece of coquetry, Kitty, when he laid his hand on her shoulder, gave a lively little start; but she did not scream, for good reasons; there were others to hear, besides Tim. 66 Kitty, my cuishla, is it frightened at me you are ?" "Yes-an' no wondher for me!" "But is your heart batin', a chorra ?" "Be quiet-you won't find out, this time." "Well, there's no use in talkin'; I'll b'lieve in dhrames the longest day I live,—if I dhrame any thing the night afore.” "An' may be you'd tell us why ?" "Becase my last dhrame is out, the present time. I dhreamt, last night, Kitty, you were wantin' to kiss me, an' I wouldn't let you." "An' that was a very impident dhrame for you, I'd have you to know." "Did you never hear, cuishla ma-chree, that dhrames went by conthraries ?" "No:-an' I don't want to hear it now." 66 Why, then, that's the way you ought to read 'em, Kitty, b'lieve me; becase, if 'twas a thing you dhramed, I was kissin' you-" "I'll never dhrame the like." "But, in case it so happened, an' more unlikely dhrames comes to pass in a body's sleep,many's a time, the thruth 'ud be, that 'tis you 'ud be kissin' me." "Go along out o' that, wid your talk." "But as it turns up that I had a dhrame that you were kissin' me, why, to go by conthraries, it's I must kiss you!" The last words were an interrupted mumble, so quickly did the act illustrate their theory; "and there, now, ma colleen-an' sure it's no great matther, afther all, which o' the two had the dhrame, for it turns out much the same in the long run." This is given as a specimen of the manner in which Tim Reily carried on his courtship; but, as we have more serious business in hand, no farther space must be occupied by illustrations. of the mode of "coortin' in the counthry," as we remember to have heard it defined. We take a final leave of Shawn-a-Gow's kitchen, for the purpose of visiting Shawn-a-Gow's forge; only remarking, at our exit, that Tim Reily made good use of the time he was obliged to spend in waiting to escort the stranger; and that,—with the Knitter retired to a neutral distance, and Davy Moore exhibiting not the least sign of jealousy, as, wholly occupied with the fate to which his desirable person seemed exposed, he sat opposite to the couple,—Tim's arm was, during the course of the night, seen encompassing Kitty's waist, while he hummed into her complimented ears the last effusion of his muse. "As I rambled a walkin' one mornin' in May, The sun he was shinin' so bright an' so clear, There was flowers an' posies a-growin' all round, * Term of endearment. |