Nature and Art, February 1, 18(>7.] 
BIZZ AND HER FOES. 
37 
I told him in a few words that he must leave the 
gate, as it was evident my servant would hold no 
communication with him, and that from his own 
showing the dog was not his, but hers. 
This seemed to him a new reading of his claim, 
“ Maybe I deserve her to seal her lips against me, 
my lady, but it’s hard, so it is. We war neighbour’s 
children close to the fair green of Bally natrent, and 
I wish I had never left it : if she would only say 
‘ T forgive, and God bless you ! ’ but she was 
always mighty high in herself, and would make no 
more allowance for a boy like meeself, than she 
would for a girl who has the grace of God in her 
heart an’ her eyes from her cradle to her grave. 
Oh, lady, if you’d undertake my cause, I’d lave 
you to be judge and jury, and abide by yer law, 
and that would be the first law I ever stood to, 
you see, if your honour knew the rights.” 
I do not think I mentioned that Bizz, doubtless 
from her Celtic blood, had an intense hatred, not 
to one individual, but to the whole police force ; 
despite the eight-foot wall that shut her in, she 
knew the step of a policeman the moment it crossed 
the road, and saluted the sound with a shrill, short, 
whistling sort of bark, different from her usual 
warnings j just as p° 01 ‘ Babbit-skin uttered the 
words, “if your honour knew the rights,” Bizz 
gave tongue, sent forth her police bark, and the 
erect form of our government protector turned the 
corner of the Gloucester Boad. In an instant, the 
man started from the gate, and rushed off to the 
right, while the policeman advanced more rapidly 
than usual from the left. 
He paused at the gate. “ I beg your pardon, 
Madam, but was that man begging 1 ” 
“No, he was not.” 
“ He’s just out after his last three months ; but 
we’ve all our eyes on him.” 
I thought within myself, that if Mary had heard 
the policeman confess that the eyes of the whole 
force were on her “playfellow of the fair green of 
Ballynatrent,” it would rouse her sympathy far more 
than his eloquence. She thoroughly sympathized 
with Bizz in her dislike of the “ peelers.” 
That evening, the housemaid told me cook was 
not well, she had gone to bed, but would not say 
what was the matter with her. 
I found her door fastened on the inside, but she 
“ hoped I would forgive her for shutting herself in, 
she would be all right in the morning.” 
I went to the yard, and invited Bizz to come 
and see cook ; she pondered over the invitation for 
a minute, then winked, and followed me upstairs 
with much gravity, sniffed and scratched at the 
door, and was at once admitted. The usual 
“ cooing ” and “ cushla machreeing ” did not follow, 
but I heard heavy and bitter sobs, and more than 
one sympathetic whine from the poor dog. 
I was sorely perplexed between the real regard 
I entertained for Mary, and the fact that her 
residence having been discovered by this good-for- 
nothing man, it would be painful to her, and 
perhaps dangerous to us, if she remained in our 
service. I knew her pride, and the sensibility 
which is its invariable accompaniment. I believed 
she was sincerely attached to us, as Irish servants 
so frequently are to their employers. For some 
time she did not quite harmonize with the other 
servants, nor they with her, but that had died out. 
Though Mary denied her country, she never denied 
her creed, and I believe never missed an opportunity 
of standing up bravely for the Pope. My dear 
mother’s maid (according to Mary) was a “ black 
Protestant,” and certainly she lost no opportunity 
of boasting that she went over to Ireland with the 
great and good King William, who “ saved the 
country from popery, slavery, and wooden shoes 
her prime favourite among the animals was Ninon, 
who, by an ingenious sleight of hand, when asked 
to drink a cup of milk to “ Dan O’Connell’s health,” 
turned away her beautiful head, and refused to 
lap ; but when aslced to drink the health of “ King 
William,” drank it with a will, and a joyous 
wagging of her delicate tail. There were two fac- 
tions in the kitchen, but that of the cook was the 
most difficult to comprehend, for while she dis- 
claimed her country- she did battle for the Pope. 
At one time the war waxed so fast and furious, 
that I found Nitron decked in orange ribbons, and 
the kitchen cat (it was before Bizz’s arrival) in- 
convenienced by a huge bow of green ribbon. I 
threw both emblems into the fire, and declared that 
if there were any more party-quarrels, both servants 
should be discharged, a decision which I found gave 
the English housemaid great satisfaction. 
But this nerv difficulty was far more perplex- 
ing, and after half-an-hour’s mental weighing and 
measuring, I could only arrive at one conclusion, 
and that gave me a great deal of pain. Just as I 
was again weighing for and against, cook asked 
permission to come in, Bizz followed her, and curled 
herself round at the feet of her legitimate mistress. 
Mary looked shy and distressed, as she had never 
looked before, and was painfully at a loss for words ; 
at length she said, — 
“ Your kind feeling for me, last night, mistress, 
has saved the life of Bizz. That born villain threw 
poisoned food over the wall to the poor innocent 
dog, out of revenge on me, because I would not 
spake to him : the mean, cowardly spalpeen, to turn 
on the dumb innocent.” 
I was greatly shocked, and asked for proof. 
She stated that one cat, who had been prowling 
in the yard, was dead, and another poor animal 
dying ; she had herself taken a bone to the chemist’s, 
and he said it was powdered with poison. 
The act was so un-Irisli, that I was slow to 
believe Babbit-skin had been guilty of such coward- 
ice and treachery. I told her so. 
“ May the Lord help your innocence ! ” she ejacu- 
lated ; “but the nature of him ever and always 
was to go through fire and water for revenge. I 
know him to my sorrow, an’ so I ought, — lie’s my 
husband ! ” 
I could not help repeating the word “husband !” 
“ Not all out,” she added, “ though we war’ book 
sworn to each other, an’ we little more than children ; 
but just as I would have kep’ my word to him it 
