168 PEARLS AND PEBBLES. 



" It was with some difficulty that I managed to rouse 

 the elder woman to a consciousness of my presence and 

 make her 'understand that I wanted a guide to the mill. 



" ' Och ! och ! me dear craythure,' she exclaimed, as 

 she raised herself on her brawny elbow and gazed at me 

 from under a mass of tangled locks, a curious look in 

 her black eyes ; ' what for should a young thing like 

 yerself be doin' up an' abroad at sich a time o' night. 

 Shure an' it must be near the mornin'.' 



" ' My good woman,' I said, ' I have lost my way in 

 the bush coming from the town, and I want some person 

 to show me the way to the mill at the Falls.' 



" ' Shure, thin,' she said, ' an' it's no time to be axin' 

 tired men or the bhyes to be lavin' their beds, but sit 

 ye down an' I'll speak to me man yonder.' And point- 

 ing to another couch, where three boys of different ages 

 were sleeping beside their father, she got up. 



"After some discussion between them the master 

 agreed to send one of , the boys, as soon as it was light, 

 to guide me to the Falls. 



" ' There; misthress,' he said, ' ye may jist make yerself 

 aisy now, an' lie down on the bed by my gal ; she has 

 the ague an' the fever, but she's as quiet as a lamb an' 

 will not disturb ye.' 



" This was kind enough, but I preferred sitting before 

 the fire on a block of wood, that served in lieu of a 

 stool, to sharing the sick girl's bed or partaking of a 

 meal of fried pork and potatoes which the woman 



