176 THE GARDEN, YOU, AND I 



in puckered smiles at the sight of a fellow-human 

 who, though big, evidently had no intention of being 

 aggressive. 



"Well, Larry McManus," said Bart, cheerfully, 

 "how came you in this barn so far away from Oireland 

 a night like this?" 



"Seem' as yer another gintleman o' the road in the 

 same ploice, what more loike than the misfortune's the 

 same?" replied he, lengthening his lower lip and 

 stretching his stubby chin, which he scratched cau- 

 tiously. Then, as he raised his eyes to Bart's, he 

 evidently read something in his general air, touselled 

 and tanned as he was, that shifted his opinion at least 

 one notch. 



"Maybe, sor, you're an actor mon, sor, that didn't 

 suit the folks in the townbeyant, sor, but I'd take it as 

 praise, so I would, for shure they're but pigs there, 

 I couldn't stop wid thim meself ! Thin agin, mayhap 

 yer jest a plain gintleman, a bit belated, as it were, 

 a little belated on the way home, sor, loike me, sor, 

 that wus moinded to be in Kildare, sor, come May-day, 

 and blessed Peter's day's nigh come about an' I'm 

 here yit!" 



"You are getting on the right scent, Larry," said Bart, 

 struggling with laughter, and yet, as he said after, not 



