172 Walks m Ireland. [F^u. 



the voices of his fierce companions and of himself broke through the 

 stillness of the antique mansion, and the solemn woods, with song, and 

 shout, and blasphemous incantation, as the shifting luck at dice or cards 

 stirred their spirits, and chafed their blood. 



On a November night, when the groaning trees bowed beneath the 

 storm, and the Liffey, swelled by the mountain rains, swept through the 

 vale in a dark brown flood, that threatened to carry every obstacle 

 before it, from Lucan to Dublin Bay, the usual party was assembled at 



nin L town. It seemed as if the night had lent a portion of its 

 ness and fury to their spirits and demeanour; they drank, and 

 played, and shouted, as if bent upon rivalling the storm without ; and 

 ever as the lightning flashed, and the thunder roared, they mocked the 

 elemental strife in their impious songs and ribald jests. As though, 

 in very deed, the powers of nature were moved at their audacity, it 

 seemed as if the storm increased in intensity, and concentrated around 

 the house, until at last even the boldest of them thought they could 

 distinguish hoarse yelling voices mingling with the midnight blast, and 

 ghastly faces leering through the windows, and furious eyes glaring out 

 of the darkness, as the livid lightning flashed through the gloom, like 

 the banner of the accursed host ; crash after crash of thunder pealed 

 through the very room with every flash, until at last, a globe of fire, the 

 brightest, the most terrible that ever eye beheld, leaped right among 

 them, dazzling them for an instant with its intolerable light, and leaving 

 them the next, in the darkness and the silence of the grave. 



The host was the first to start up and thunder to the servants for 

 lights, and when the affrighted menials came, it was an altered scene 

 which presented itself ; the tables had been upset, and the lights extin- 

 guished by the explosion of the thunderbolt, though none of the guests 

 were hurt. But on collecting their scattered senses, and looking around, 

 they all perceived, with a shudder, that a stranger was added to their 

 company. Now, though at the first glance, he was to all appearance no 

 more than a middle aged man, dressed in black, yet, as they looked at 

 him, they could see that the outline of his figure wavered and flickered, 

 as if traced upon a mist ; and in his eye there was something so fiendish 

 and withering that the boldest heart grew cold before his glance, nay, 

 the very storm itself seemed to dwell around, or emanate from him, for ever 

 as he moved in his chair, though every motion seemed studied, and 

 subdued, as he turned and bowed in token of recognition to one after 

 another of the silent group, floor, walls, and ceiling trembled and shook 

 as if the mansion was about to come down, and bury them in its ruins. 



L/ was a bold hearted man, and though daunted by what he saw, 



and well he might be, he was the first of the party to recover himself 

 sufficiently to speak; he demanded the name and purpose of the intruder 

 there was a pause before the stranger replied, then mastering an 

 obvious inclination to laugh, which gave a yet wilder and more unna- 

 tural air to his countenance, he coolly replied, '' That he was right well 

 known to every individual in the honourable company, and that he was 

 the guest of their host, by regular invitation, given so very lately, and 

 acceded to by them so unanimously, that he could not help wondering 

 at the strange reception they gave him" and with this, after another 

 withering glance round the circle, he looked downward at his own feet ; 

 all eyes followed his, and all recognized with horror the fatal hoof in 

 Ireland, as in Germany, the infallible mark of the devil : for disguise the 



