A WELL-SPENT SUNDAY. 253 



It had been the intention of the Parson 

 and the Captain, on their return from Lough 

 Derg, to remain at Belleek during the day, 

 and to walk over to Bally shannon quietly in 

 the evening ; to hear the news, sleep there, 

 and to fish back to their old quarters on the 

 Monday following ; but their movements 

 were somewhat unexpectedly accelerated by 

 unforeseen circumstances. 



" What on earth is in the wind now ? " 

 said the Captain, as he ran up the stairs 

 into the common room, where the Parson 

 was still hunting about in his portmanteau 

 for some missing articles of Sunday wear — 

 "here is a messenger hot foot from Ballv- 

 shannon, with a note from the Squire, de- 

 siring us to lose no time, but to join him 

 there as soon as possible." 



"Does he give no reason?" said the 

 Parson. 



"He says there has been a devil of a 

 shindy," said the Captain ; " but there is 

 nothing very strange in that on a Saturday 

 night. But look at his note ; it is nothing 

 but a pencil scrawl, written in great haste, 

 and sent without seal or direction." 



"But where is the messenger?" 



