A II II N T K K s M V K. 63 



After this, our leisure time was spent in much plea- 

 Bantry ; and almost every eveninp: I would sin^ a song, or 

 two, or three, for some of the family, to which the old lady 

 would listen with seeminpi; pleasure. The old gentleman 

 never failed to listen when he was home, and everything 

 was going on as well as I could wish it, till the last month 

 of my time was approaching ; when I thought that I conhl 

 see a change in the old lady — nay, I was sure that her l)e- 

 havior was entirely different. If we youngsters got by 

 ourselves, singing ami telling riddles, she would come and 

 take the girls into the house, and s])oil our pastime as 

 often as we would undertake it; and the longer I re- 

 mained the more crabbed she became. 



All the hands were obliged to sleej) in the same room, 

 and in addition, those who were at the bear-fight — four- 

 teen in all. Having become jealous of me, on account of 

 the old man's decision in regard to the light, they took 

 every opportunity they could to annoy me, and make my 

 situation as unpleasant as possible. The days and nights 

 being disagreeably warm, we were obliged to sleep on the 

 tlocr; and, in order to harass me, ray enemies would begin 

 a scuffle with each other, in which they would soon include 

 me, and thus I could not get to sleep till late at night. 

 To get rid of that annoyance, 1 asked Nancy to give me 

 a blanket, with which I would go out to a shed which the 

 joiners used to work in when it rained, take my bear-skin, 

 and pass the night on the shavings. 



In that way I slept finely for a week or two, when one 

 day 1 was told to saddle a horse for Nancy ; and as she 

 was about to start I said, " Nancy, where are you going 

 to ride to ? " 



" I am going to my aunt's, in the country." 



" How long will you be gone ? " 



" Lord knows," said she ; " mother says I must stay till 

 she sends for me. But," she added, " I would much rather 



