CHAPTER XVIII 



A grand Time in Connemara Boniface and his Guests Pat 

 and Kitty Brian O'Malley 



IRELAND stands foremost, next after my native 

 Devon, to inspire thoughts of happy days among 

 fun-loving folk with roguish faces and twinkling 

 eyes. It may be that my upbringing under the 

 close influence of a man who was always boyish, 

 as the Irish are, and very Irish in wit and manner, 

 may be held accountable for this, or he may have 

 had Irish blood within his veins some of which he 

 gave to me. 



A profound remark from a child's tongue caused 

 an astonished father to observe that his prodigy 

 must have had some prior existence. Now if this 

 be possible, within the realms of Nature's ordering, 

 there comes in the chance that I have been an 

 Irishman, or shall be if the whirligig goes on. 

 Who can be more pleased to tread Irish soil, who 

 happier on an Irish car, who loves the blarney 

 more, or goes oftener to fish Irish streams than I ? 



My boys need a breath or two of the Old 

 Country's air occasionally, almost as much as I do, 

 and it's the one we call Harry that is drooping for 

 it now ; so we are off, and it's a fine time we intend 

 having in Connemara. 



Mid- September is a little late for a start on a 

 somewhat lengthened tour during which, if Fortune 



208 



