H6 THE UPPER RAPIDS. 



said the Parson ; " there is not a man who is 

 not ready for it." 



" Ready to talk," said the Squire. " They 

 are all ready enough for that : but there is 

 just this difference between England and 

 Ireland — an Englishman says nothing, but 

 goes and does it ; while Paddy is all talk, 

 and bluster, and blarney, and botheration." 



The Parson thought that the compressed 

 lips and frowning brows of the men, together 

 with their unusual silence, boded something 

 more than the Squire's brutum julmen, out 

 of the thunder-cloud that was hanging over 

 the Scotchman's nets ; but as this last remark 

 had not been the most prudent or well-timed 

 in the world, he made no reply, and the 

 Captain effected an opportune diversion by 

 observing that talking about Hector always 

 put him into a passion, and made him fever- 

 ish. " Why should we not have a bowl of 

 punch ? " said he. " Pat has got a couple of 

 lemons, that I know ; and there is plenty of 

 sugar that we brought for the coffee : of 

 course there must be whisky enough in one 

 flask or another." 



" Why, there is no bowl," said the Squire; 

 " and our coffee-cups are too small to mix in." 



