Mark Cock! 88 



in. You had to be mighty quick, and to keep your eyes skinned, as there 

 was very little to hear. A cock often got up like an owl, without noise or 

 flurry, and all you were apt to see of him was something brown whipping 

 round a rock or over a brae. 



There were four of us ; The O'C. and myself; M'Grullegan, Q.C. — (one of 

 the handsomest men I ever saw ; a very smart fellow, a tremendous pet of 

 tlie ladies, and one of the best racconteiirs I ever met ! tale after tale, 

 and story after story, he would roll out with a lovely brogue, all new, all 

 inimitable ; where he got them nobody knew ; half his time, I believe, he 

 invented them out of very trivial foundations; he was what the O'C. called 

 "the hoighth of good company"), — Captain P. of the — th Hussars (a very 

 good fellow, who had seen a deal of service in India and elsewhere ; his 

 regiment was at the Curragh, and he had got away for a week). We were 

 a capital party, and before the first dinner was half over every man had 

 taken the measure of his neighbour to his perfect satisfaction, and burnt the 

 tape, so to speak. 



On that dinner and evening I won't dwell. In the course of the evening 

 Mike, the keeper, looked in : he usually contrived to look in when his 

 master was at home, to tell him the news of the bog, marsh, or moor 

 for to-morrow; besides which he generally dropped in in a genteel way 

 when his master was not at home, just to tell the news of the barony to 

 Misthress Mulroony, the cook, towards whom he was supposed to have 

 " intintions ;" and in those days, in that part of Ireland, potheen was cheap 

 enough and plentiful enough, and just took the place that ale takes in 

 England ; and there was always a keg on the broach with a welcome to 

 all, at the hands of Misthress Mulroony, with due consideration for "Misther 

 Michael O'Leary," as she addressed him before company, though "Mick, 

 ye divU, be aisy, now ! " was more the style of address she favoured him 

 with in private. 



" What sort of a day are we to have, Mike ? " I asked, as I was filling my 

 first pipe at the door. 



" Ah ! then, it'll not be such a bad day ; Ould Neephin got his nightcap 

 off 'arly this morning, and there'll be more sunshine than cloud." 



" Mike, ye blagard, why isn't the car ready ? Run and wake up that 

 F 



