140 A YEAR or LIBERTY ; OR, 



world knew that she was to have her uncle's eldest son, for the great 

 fortin, says he, came by her and should go to her. But the lady 

 lived in the heart of the youngest, and loved a fond glance of his eye 

 more nor all the lands of the other ; which, as yer honour knows, 

 was veiy parvarse. When the master came to know it he wasn't 

 mighty well pleased you may be sure ; so he founded that abbey 

 yonder for the glory of God, and piously made his younger son prior 

 of the same, and there stands the old walls this blessed minute. 

 But the lovely lady, as bright as the moonlight, took sick and was 

 like to die, till, night after night, unknown to a sowl, the prior 

 crossed this spot to comfort the sick, and before the eye of the 

 momin' was opened, stole back to his convent to hide his Christian 

 charity. The lady recovered, and for love of holy Church came 

 evermore to this place with his riverence to receive his blessin'. One 

 morn she niver returned, for the monk was found drowned in the 

 ford, and the maiden cold and dead where the Colonel is sittin'. Thus 

 your honour sees how, all along of Sir Phalim not livin' as a gintle- 

 man ought, nor lendin' his money, the devil flew away wid him ; a 

 swate young crathur broke her heart, a holy saint was drowned, and 

 how evermore this strame was called Causan-a-Mhanaigh, or the 

 Monk's Path." 



I looked wistfully at the deep and dark river ; the time, the place, 

 the faith of the narrator, and the simple tale of love and murder, 

 produced their full effect ; and I am ashamed to own how often that 

 night I thought of the ill-starred monk and hapless maid. 



