1832.] The Fresh Water Whale. 505 



" You may say that, and have pulled me back half-way every step I 

 got forward." 



" Still I'am not to be insulted in my own township, even by a female, 

 and one whom I regard." 



"You shouldn't, Blundus no, not by any one if Luckie O'Carrol 

 had her will : but you're just a lost man, and I'm going to leave you." 



" It's joking you are, Luckie." 



" Maybe it is : but you'll find this is the last time we'll joke together, 

 Blundus. The writings are drawn out, and I'm now riding twenty miles 

 to get my money. I've sold the farm, with all that's on it ; and to- 

 morrow Thady Purcell takes possession." 



" Without my leave ? And I, the head of the family, here close at 

 hand ! Couldn't you pay me the compliment of saying Oh ! Miss 

 Luckless, I'm done with you !*' 



" Don't go from me in anger !" 



" I will I can't help it." 



" Dear Blundus" 



"Not a word more I never felt just this way I do now before/' 



" I'll see you again to-morrow, Blundus, when you'll be in a better 

 humour, maybe. There's signs of a bad storm at the change o' the 

 moon to-night, so I'll sleep at Maurice Cavanagh's, and be back in the 

 morning with Thady." 



" Curse Thady ! Miss Luckless, I'll not hear of him." 



So saying, Blundus stalked off; after having strode on about three score 

 yards, he turned half round, but seeing Luckie and her mare stand 

 gazing after him, he made a passionate and contemptuous gesture, and 

 resumed his course. " E' then," said Luckie, curling up her lip, and 

 trying to retain the tear in her eye, " if it's so I'm treated by you, 

 Blundus ." Without finishing what she had thus began, she very 

 unjustifiably laid her switch over the nag's shoulder, which soon carried 

 her off to some distance. On getting to the top of the hill that over- 

 looked the township, she gave a glance back to see where Blundus had 

 gone : there he stood, within a yard or so of where he had misdemeaned 

 himself. Both at once kissed hands j and, with a light heart, away 

 trotted Luckie. 



It was a horrible night, sure enough : but by the break of day she was 

 up, arid, soon after sunrise back she came, with' her money safe in a bag, 

 to give Thady Purcell possession. There was the bog, and the river, and 

 the two-headed hill of Bally-linch just as she had left it ; but where was 

 her farm ? After hunting up and down, here, there, and every where, 

 she turned white as alabaster, and telling Thady she could not find it, 

 rode away, without well knowing what she did, to the township. As for 

 Blundus, he had been roused up in the black of the night, by a noise, 

 which he knew, from experience, signified that the river was playing at 

 leap-frog over his township. Of course he got up ; but found it so dark, 

 that after putting on what clothes he had, which were not many enough 

 to be much mislaid on taking the blanket out of the hole that served him 

 for a window, he could not see a foot from his nose. The waters were 

 roaring and rushing fearfully about, and above the wind's howl, he fancied 

 he heard the keen shriek of a woman. Bursting at once backwards, 

 through a mud wall, with which one of his followers had long ago mended 

 his castle, he found himself floundering in an element betwixt mud and 



M.M. New Series. Vol. XIII. No. 77. 2 M 



