1830.] Red Gap Inn. 163 



had not arrived when one post-captain (a good title, by the way) would 

 start off all the offices having declined insuring his toes and fingers, at 

 any premium to pay a morning visit to a polar bear ; and another, 

 excusing himself from the Horticultural Fete, accept an invitation to a 

 dejeune d lafourchette from the Esquimaux, the world seeing nothing 

 extraordinary in the thing all the while. De gustibus nil disputandem. 

 However, give me the box-seat on the Limerick coach, in preference to 

 an outside on an iceberg, any day in the year. 



There were no Limerick coaches, however, in the days I speak of; 

 every one travelled on his own account, and, in consequence of the 

 unsettled and impoverished state of the country, the transmission of 

 money especially was attended with considerable danger. The ruin to 

 which my story clings, is now 



a solitary spot as Sorrow could desire ; 



For nodding to the fall is each crumbling wall, 

 And the roof is scathed with fire. 



It was then, however, a substantial-looking inn : the proprietor was a 

 farmer, as well as an inn-keeper ; and although no particular or satis- 

 factory reason could be assigned for it, beyond vague and uncertain 

 rumours, he was by no means a favourite with his neighbours. He had 

 little, indeed, of the Boniface about him ; dark, sullen, and down-look- 

 ing, he never appeared, even to a guest, unless when specially called for, 

 much less to a thirsty brother farmer or labourer, passing his heavy, 

 old-fashioned door, to ask him to taste his home-brewed ale or usque- 

 baugh ; yet the man was well to pass in the world, and with the aid of 

 three or four hulking sons, and a heartbroken drudge of a wife, managed 

 his farm and his inn, so as to pay his way at fair and market, and " hold 

 his own," as the saying is, in the country. For all that, there were 

 those who did not stick to say that more travellers went to his inn at 

 night than ever left it in the morning ; and one or two who remembered 

 him in his early days, before he had learned to mask the evil traits of 

 his character by sullenness and reserve, would not have taken the broad 

 lands of the Geraldines of Leinster to pass a night in the best bed-room 

 in his house ; no, no they would rather take chance in the Bog of 

 Allen, for that matter. 



A severe storm, however, compelled a traveller to halt there one even- 

 ing, although he had originally intended to get further on his journey, 

 before he put up for the night. Not that he had any suspicion of the place ; 

 on the contrary, he thought it rather a comfortable, quiet-looking con- 

 cern; and, turning from the lowering, inhospitable sky, and wishing the 

 pitiless driving sleet good night, he rode into the inn-yard, saying in his 

 own mind, " I may go further, and fare worse." Now I am of a very 

 different opinion. 



It was late in the evening, and late in the year no matter about dates, 

 I am not particular. So the traveller (who, being a merciful man, was 

 merciful to his beast), having seen his horse fed, and carefully laid up 

 for the night, thought it high time to look after himself, as to both his 

 outward and inward man. Accordingly, throwing his saddle-bags over 

 his arm, he walked into the inn-kitchen, in those days the most com- 

 fortable winter apartment in the house, to thaw himself at the huge fire, 

 and give the customary mandates concerning supper and bed to say 

 nothing of a bottle of good old wine, then to be found in every inn in 



Y 2 



