228 A YEAR OF liberty; or, 



Two to one are long odds ; the fisli could hardly hold his own 

 before, and now my comrade's opportune arrival soon settled the 

 contest. The salmon, utterly exhausted, floundered towards the 

 bank ^his hour was come ; helpless and motionless he was lifted 

 into the net and borne off by Pat, who had just breath enough to 

 exclaiiii : 



" Quick, quick, yer honour ; now for the shelter, any way !" 



The rain descended in torrents; the very windows of heaven 

 seemed open. The little river was by no means a pleasant neigh- 

 bour, but roared and reeled along like a drunkard. As Pat subse- 

 quently observed, " She had just taken a drop too much." 



In the morning I had been inclined to despise Mr. M'Hale's 

 castle ; but now, as I passed over the threshold out of the pelting 

 rain, and beheld a goodly array of three-legged iron pots, odorous of 

 dinner, it rose marvellously in my estimation. In the great chamber 

 a block of bogwood blazed cheerfully, and by its light we were 

 enabled to lay out our drenched tackle, and make some slight 

 preparations for dinner. These were scarcely completed when 

 Willie, with a very broad grin on his brown face, announced that 

 the meal was ready. Throwing the door open, I was horrified to 

 find the kitchen crammed with the entire population of the neigh- 

 bourhood, and a procession organised to conduct me with all honour 

 to the salle a manger. Naturally shy and averse to all public demon- 

 strations, I felt the infliction in full force, but there was now no 

 help for it ; in front tripped the fair Margaret, followed by Mrs. 

 Mac, then came the scribe, guarded by Pat, and in this order we 

 passed through the crush-room. Instead of feeling puffed up by this 

 great ovation, I felt more like a man passing from the condemned 

 cell to the drop than an honoured guest being marshalled to the 

 banquet-room. In the apartment stood a prodigious rough deal 

 table, whereon, at long intervals, appeared a boiled trout, a mountain 

 of potatoes, a soddened chicken the size of a young partridge, and an 

 enormous dish of cabbage each and all of which, doubtless, at 

 some earlier period were in themselves excellent, but in passing 

 through the hands of Margaret and her mamma had acquired a 



