138 The Course, the Camp, the Chase 



Johnny Mahon began, stroking his long grey beard, and 

 then replied, " I'm not going — until every lady in the 

 room has given me a kiss !" This speech was received 

 with much merriment, but in vain did the hostess try to 

 induce her guest to retire. He would do nothing but sit 

 by the fire and repeat his formula, and though the shades 

 of night were fast falling — of course we all stayed to see 

 the fan. At last, in despair, the lady of the house said to 

 one of her younger daughters, " Oh, do go and give the 

 man a kiss, or we shall never get rid of him all night." 

 Thoroughly entering into the joke, the girl approached him 

 and gave him a kiss, but he only remarked, " That's one ! 

 and now for the next," which raised the excitement to a 

 higher pitch than ever. Having broken the ice, our 

 hostess sent each of her daughters in turn, and at last 

 kissed him herself, and then said, " Now, Johnny, we've had 

 enough of this, you must have done with it and go 

 home," but again she only received in reply the little 

 sentence that he had so often repeated. The only other 

 lady in the room was an English girl, arrived from England 

 only the day before for her first visit to Ireland. She was 

 perfectly shocked at the proceedings, and it was really for 

 her benefit Johnny Mahon was exhibiting Irish humour. 

 As red as a peony, she made a bolt for the door, but the 

 other girls had kept an eye upon her, and long before she 

 could reach it one of them had turned the lock and put 

 the key into her pocket. In vain did the visitor declare 

 that nothing should induce her to comply, for the other 

 ladies, having suffered themselves, were thoroughly 

 determined that she should go through the same ordeal 

 also. She had not a chance- of escape, for now they had 

 all turned allies of Johnny Mahon, and after much 



