50 JFcilks in Ireland. [July, 



trouble on the subject, by effecting an entrance into their respectable 

 mansion in the manner of house-breakers and heroes : that is to say, by 

 storm. A harsli-voiced female instantly acknowledged the force of my 

 reasoning, with " Asy — asy — take your time — ye're always in a hurry," 

 at the same instant opening the door so suddenly and readily, that be 

 the sleepers whom they might, it was quite clear that she was not one of 

 them. I never, in the course of my life, saw so repulsive-looking a 

 being as that woman. Her age might be about five-and-thirty ; her 

 strong-built, muscular figure, rose so considerably above the female 

 height, as to give her the appearance of a man in disguise, and the 

 harshness of her voice in some measure coimtenanced the idea ; but her 

 features, stamped more deeply than any I have ever seen before or since 

 with the indelible traces of fierce and evil passions and a licentious life, 

 were those of a woman. Her dress was squalid and neglected ; her long 

 hair, once as black as jet, but now tinged with grey, less as it seemed 

 from years, than from the premature old age of misery and care, and, it 

 might be, guilt, hung in matted elf-locks over her face and shoulders. 

 In one hand she held a candle, and cautiously shaded it from the wind 

 with the other, so that the light fell full upon her face and figure, while 

 I remained in the shade; and in spite of all I have said, and though I 

 repeat that I never saw a human being from whom I felt so much 

 inclined to draw back, with that undefinable, instinctive feeling, which 

 seems implanted in us by Nature to give warning of the approach of 

 guilt, yet I could not help seeing that, changed as they were, that face 

 and figure had once been beautiful and majestic ; but, as it was, so strong 

 were the traces of recent and powerful emotion, that she looked more like 

 a witch, disturbed from some damned rite, than the poverty-stricken 

 tenant of an Irish cabin. I suppose I need hardly tell you, that in the 

 minute description I have given you, I have embodied much more than 

 the first impression of my hasty glance when the cabin door was flimg 

 open ; but, I promise you, enough occurred afterwards to fix all I saw 

 that night, in ray recollection to the longest day I have to live. " Come 

 in," said she, too busily occupied in shading the candle from the gust of 

 wind, to bestow a glance on me, " Ye needn't be afeard of disturbin' 

 him now — come in quick, and shut the door." Though I saw that 

 she evidently mistook me for some one she expected, I did as I was 

 desired, and then turning round from the closed door, our eyes met for 

 the first time. The woman drew back a step or two, and holding up 

 the light, eyed me in silence from head to foot with a most sinister look. 

 " Who the devil are ye ?" said she at last, " and what d'ye want here 

 this hour of the night ?" — " My good woman," said I, " I am a stranger, 

 and I only want a little shelter vmtil daylight." — " Your good woman ! 

 Who tould ye I was a good woman ? — don't believe them the next thing 

 they tell ye. And you're a stranger, and only want shelther — thi'oth, an' 

 I dare say, or it's not here ye'd come to look for it." Just then the 

 snoring noise I spoke of, and which seemed to come from a pallet in a 

 corner of the cabin, ceased abruptly. The woman walked slowly to the 

 side of the bed. Upon it lay a man stretched on his back at full length. 

 She felt his temples, and his side, as if to ascertain if pulsation remained, 

 holding the light close to his face ; but a single glance at his distorted 

 features was enough to shew that he had, that instant, passed the final 

 and bitter agony of death. She set down the candle at the head of the 

 corjjse, and stood for an instant with her hands folded and her lips 



