JOURNEY CONTINUED. 21 



unmentionables. The ladies were gloriously adorned with 

 silver ribbon, gilt wreaths, and every flower that blows, 

 from a pink to a peony ; the lords of the creation sported 

 stiffened cravats and a plurality of waistcoats ; and the 

 ball-room emitted " an ancient and fish-like smell " 

 a miasm of musk, assisted by every abomination in 

 perfumery. 



I was in an intermediate state between frenzy and fever, 

 and turned over in my mind the expediency of setting 

 fire to the bed-curtains, and sending myself, the quad- 

 rille, and the whole company to the skies, by igniting 

 ten pounds of Harvey's treble strong, which was stowed 

 away somewhere in my luggage. Did tired nature 

 quiesce for a moment, I was fearfully roused with a 

 tornado of torturous sounds. " Places, gentlemen ! " 

 " Ladies' chain ! " " Now, don't dance, Patsey ; 

 you know you're drunk ! " " Arrah ! Charley, are you 

 stupid ? " " Dos-d-dos, Miss Rourke ! " " Up with 

 the Lancers ! " " Aisy, Mr. Bodkin ! remember there 

 are ladies here ! " " Waiter ! there's porter wanted 

 at the card-table ! " Somnus ! deity of my adoration ! 

 never expose me to such misery as I endured in the 

 archiepiscopal town of Tuam ! 



Morning came, and the company retired to supper 

 below stairs. Anticipating the consequences, I fortified 

 my chamber-door with all the moveables I could collect. 

 It was a prudent precaution ; for, blessed be God ! 

 a row ensued, that finished both delph and dancing. 

 I suffered nothing in person, but my less-fortunate valet 

 got a black eye from a Connemara gentleman, who, 

 unluckily for poor Travers, mistook him for the master 

 of the ceremonies, with whom he of Connemara was 

 at feud. 



