PODGERS' POINTER 87 



words of consolation and sympathy as, under the 

 circumstances, were his due. His left eye betrayed 

 symptoms of incipient inflammation, and liis mouth 

 gave evidence of the violence with which Miss 

 Bridget Byrne (the lady in the case) had brought 

 her somewhat heavy knuckle-dusters into contact 

 with it. 



" Bringin' wild bastes into a gintleman's dacent 

 house, as if it was a barn, that's manners ! " she 

 muttered. " Av I can get a clout at that dog, I'll 

 lave him as bare as a plucked thrush ! " 



At this instant a violent crash of crockery-ware 

 was heard in the regions of the kitchen. 



" Holy Yargin ! but the baste is on the dhresser ! 

 Til dhress the villian ! " and seizing upon a very 

 stout ash stick which stood in the hall, she darted 

 rapidly in the direction from whence the dire sounds 

 were proceeding. 



" Hold hard, woman ! " cried Podgers. " He's a 

 very valuable animal. I'll make good any damage. 

 Use your authority. Brown," he added, appealing to 

 me. " She's a terrible person this ; she'd stop at 

 nothing." 



Ere I could interpose, a violent skirmishing took 

 place, in which such exclamations as " Take that, 

 ye divvle ! Ye'll brake me chaney, will ye ? There's 

 chaney for ye ! " followed by very audible whacks, 



