244 THE BAWN VONE. 



" Och then may ye be made an archbishop, or the pope itself 

 and that's all the harm I wish you." 



The friar held the bottle to the mouth of Mickey Brien. The ass 

 cocked his ears as if he thought something- was going on in which 

 he ought to have a share. Suddenly the bottle is pulled from his 

 mouth, which indeed seemed to fasten to it with the eagerness of a 

 hungry infant, and the Bawn Vone stands before the somewhat dis- 

 comforted pair. 



" Mr. Flannery, I should not have expected that upon this solemn 

 occasion you would be rendering our friend incapable of performing 

 the task which lies before us." 



Mickey Brien was incapable of making any excuse, as " the 

 dhrop having gone against his breath " threw him into a fit of 

 coughing. 



The friar's reply was brisk, the lady's anger short-lived, and they 

 all proceeded. As the car was drawn into the middle of the road it 

 might be seen that there were twists of hay coiled about the wheels 

 in such a way as to dull their noise, while the friar appeared to be 

 sitting upon something of a box-like shape, and which, although 

 much care was taken with the disguise, looked like what it really 

 was a coffin. 



They struck down a long narrow street, and as they arrived at a 

 somewhat respectable-looking house the lady stopped. \ 



" Mr. Flannery,'' says she, addressing the friar, " you and Brien 

 can proceed ; ye can take shelter in the market-house, and wait for 

 me, I shall only have a quarter of an hour's delay." 



This proposal was received with a shudder. 



" Not there, not there," exclaimed the friar, " not that / fear (he 

 trembled from top to toe) but Brien, you know " 



" Father, be aisey you fear yourself as much as Brien, and small 

 blame to ye. Christ save us ! Shure the sperrit of the murthered 

 innocent haunts at night that fearful place. No one can pass it now. 

 The beggar, without house, or home, or shelter, cannot lay down his 

 wad in that place as of ould. And then the creather is seen, the same 

 as in life, rockin to and fro, and crying murther in an unknown 

 tongue, with the blood on her face and on the stones. It would have 

 been betther to have kilt a rigimin of men and women, or a whole 

 faction off the face o'the earth that could speak and defend themselves, 

 than that poor innocent whom God gave 'specially for protection and 

 charity/' 



Brien had worked himself up to a state of excitement which was 

 almost ungovernable. 



The friar, his eyes dilating as his companion ran on, was in a glow 

 the perspiration teemed from his forehead. 



" I honour your feelings," spoke the venerable lady, who alone, 

 while sharing the indignation and horror, retained her self-possession, 

 " but blame your superstitious fears, they are unmanly ; and, Mr. 

 Flannery, you, who ought to have more sense, from your education 

 and calling, should reprove them." 



" Tell you the truth, Ma'am, I believe there are some supersti- 

 tions so nathural that they are badly paid for by the best knowledge." 



