loo LIFE IN IRELAND 



Hartegan went so far as to say that he was bespoke j 

 this Grammachree disbeUeved, he knew the nature of 

 his disorder, which originated in his going to bed 

 malty w^ith his clothes on, and sleeping with his wooden 

 leg out from under the blankets, by which he got the 

 rheumatism in it, that soon spread from the wood to the 

 flesh, and from the flesh to the bone. His dangerous 

 situation demanded all his friends' attention, and our 

 two heroes became nurses, sitting up in turns ,by his 

 bed-side. Grammachree, with his accustomed humour, 

 said, ' He never before knew the want of a regular 

 wife, who must be a very useful appendage to a sick 

 man on his death-bed.' Brian and Sir Shawn 

 consequently ceased to mingle in the festivities 

 of the Castle, and w^ere so much missed as to have 

 the honour of being inquired after by His Majesty 

 himself. 



Grammachree slowly recovered, to the disappoint- 

 ment of his relations, who, anxious to share his small 

 property, called every day to know if he w^as defunct. 

 As soon as he w^as able to sit up in his chair and mix 

 his glass of punch over the new^spaper on an evening, 

 our heroes bade him good-bye, and again made their 

 congees at the Castle. 



When His Majesty knew the cause of their non- 

 attendance, he highly approved of it, and, after due 

 inquiry into Grammachree's merits, dispatched Sir 

 Shawn to him w^ith the agreeable intelligence that he 

 had ordered him to be promoted to the rank of Major. 

 The shock operated with electric velocity ; it did what 

 no doctor could do, completely cured the patient ; and 

 Gram, 'albeit unused to the melting mood,' wept over 



