MEMOIR OF A GENTLEMAN. 271 



insult. If you, encourage these humours, I assure you, Mr. Daw- 

 kins, you will never do for Galway.' Before this jobation ended, 

 carriage-wheels grated on the gravel, and men, women, and 

 children commenced and continued pouring in, as if another 

 deluge had begun, and Castle Toole was an ark of safety. 



" While the house was crowded within, the space before 

 it appeared to be in the possession of numerous banditti. 

 The tenants, of course, had flocked hither to do honour to 

 the christening. For their refreshment a beeve was roasted 

 whole, and beer and whisky lavishly distributed. I never 

 saw a scene of waste and drunkenness before, although I had 

 hitherto believed that my residence was the veriest rack-rent 

 in the world. In every corner pipers played, women danced, 

 men drank, and swearing and love-making was awful. There, 

 while dinner was being served, I had stolen forth to vent my 

 agony unnoticed. I am not, sirs, gifted with that command 

 of nerve which can exhibit hollow smiles while the bosom is 

 inly bleeding. To affect gaiety so foreign to my heart, I feltwould 

 break it ; but the desperate misery that I endured would spur 

 the dullest soul to madness. I viewed the rude revelry with 

 disgust. I was the master of the feast, but the savages barely 

 recognised me. Generally they spoke in their native lan- 

 guage ; and though I did not exactly comprehend all that they 

 said, I heard enough to assure me of my utter insignificance 

 in their rude estimate of character. Under a gate- pier two 

 old women were sitting ; thy did not notice me, and continued 

 their discourse. 



" ' Ally, astore, did ye see the child ? They say it's the 

 picture of Marc Bodkin.' 



" f Whisht, ye divil !' was the rejoinder, as the crone pro- 

 ceeded, with a chuckle ; ' it has red hair, any how : but Neil 

 an skit a gau maun* and ye know best.' 



" But the further humiliation of assisting at the ceremony 

 was saved me. In the hurry consequent upon the general i 

 confusion, the post-bag was handed to me instead of my 

 lady-wife, who lately had managed all correspondence. 

 Mechanically I opened the bag, and a letter, bearing the 

 well-known direction of my aunt, met my eye. That, 

 under circumstances, it should have reached me, appeared 

 miraculous, and, seizing an opportunity, I examined its 



* Anglice t ( I have no skill in it.' 



