The Griffin accepted the offer, "swayed" herself into the room, and placing her basket on the floor, repeated her question; to which Connor replied, "Faith, ma'am, I was only giving a piece of advice to Ally, that when anything is neither useful nor ornamental, it's better to drop it."

"And am I neither useful nor ornamental, Mr. Connor O'Gorman, tell me that ?" persisted the virago.

"Sure, Mrs. Griffin, I wasn't spaking to you at all," said Connor; "it's quite enough for a lone gentlewoman like yerself to have to stand against what's said to you, without gathering maneings, as a sparrow gathers straws, and for as little good, out of everything you meet on an Irish highway, or hear at an Irish door."

"If it was on the highway I met an affront," continued the unappeased Griffin, "I'd know how to punish it better than,-(if the wind of the word that crosses the mountains spakes truth, joli garson, as the Frinch say,)I'd know how to punish it better than Mr. Connor O'Gorman, who must whiten his hands and perfume his breath with O de Coloney instead of whiskey, to plaze the Rose of Blarney. There's three black thorns up the chimney, I

see, Mister Connor-seasoning,* I suppose. Time was, whin it would be a bon Chrettien's office to tell Ulick O'Sullivan of the black thorns; but Ulick may fight the spirits that do be dancing, bon grey, mol grey, on the Bograh Mountains, or divart himself with the ghosts of the Macarthies, in the vaults of Blarney Castle, for anything you care; but it's fine to be obadient to the laws, and gentle and quiet, like sucking calves-only it's lately come to the O'Gormans, that's all."

"Don't heed her, brother," whispered Alice to Connor; never heed her, she's very dark this morning; don't heed her, Connor dear."

"I'm not going to heed her, never fear, girl," replied Connor, with a bitter laugh; "I'm not going to heed her. But I'll tell you what, Mrs. Griffin, I'd scorn myself if I wanted strength to tell the truth, even to one who has more to do with evil words and evil winds than becomes an honest woman."-The Grif fin started from her seat, and looked furiously at the young farmer, but he continued"I did tell Ally to drop you easy.”

"Obrother!" exclaimed Alice, turning pale. "And I repeat it. Alice O'Gorman, you're no sister of mine if you keep any communion

The Irish peasants dry their fighting-sticks, by hanging them up the chimney, and grease them frequently.

with her. My door shall never be shut in your face, Mrs. Griffin, nor in the face of any wanderer, no matter how poor, no matter how illspoken of I never will close my door against the houseless."

"Indeed, Mr. O'Gorman, we're not behoulden to your house, sir, we've plenty of homes, thank God!"

"You have, ma'am, I dare say-by sea and land, over land, and in land too-among the distilliries, maybe; and I'll tell you why I don't like the honour of your polite company for my sister, ma'am: she's a little simple, quiet girl, and I hold it, that every honest brother, father, or husband, through the country, ought to keep the women's hearts over which he has power, pure; and that it's the duty of a pathriot to watch over the religion and innocence of his country women. For look here," continued the young farmer, and he snatched a white rose from his sister's bosom, and held it above his head, "this is woman as she should be-above the reach or touch of anything low, or mean, or dirty, or desateful; -but this is what she becomes," and he illustrated the figure by dropping the flower upon the clay-sanded floor, and crushing its petals beneath his foot; "this is what she becomes, when mixed up with the talk and the scandal,

the sin, and the badness, that's carried through the world by idle and mischievous bog-throtters, who shoulder sin like a musket, and whose lips are foul with black and bitter words."

"Are my lips foul ?" inquired the Griffin furiously; "Mister Connor O'Gorman, Mistress Griffin says, Are my lips foul?"

"If they're not, I wish the country joy of the change, that's all. Now keep off, ma'am-I'll not suffer ye to strike me-I'll spancel yer hands with that strong gad I made for the kicking cow, and she never kicked since. I'll have no carrying of stories from the Bee's Nest here, or from here to the Bee's Nest. And so, ma'am, you may rest yourself as long as you please, and then we'll walk out of the house together, for Ally will be none the worse of spending the heel of the evening by herself."

"Let her pay me what she owes me,” said the Griffin," and then I'll go bail it will be many a long day before anything but my curse darkens your door."

"Oh! Mrs. Griffin! Mrs. Griffin!" expostulated Ally.

"Owes! What does she owe you ?" inquired Connor, glancing angrily at his sister.

"Three thirteens, for a crooked comb; two testers, for black tags; seven tinpennies, for an

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D

illigant shawl; and half-a-crown for she knows what herself."

Alice trembled like an aspen, and dared not look at her brother, who put his hand into his pocket, and drew forth a small leathern bag which was tied round the neck by a piece of .string.

"Here, now; if it's not too much trouble, will ye say that riddle-ma-ree over again, Mrs. Griffin."

"If it's more convanient to you, Mounsieur," said the woman insolently, though she was marvellously appeased by the sight of the moneya thing in her particular way of dealing she seldom saw except when she carried her barter to Cork, "I'll take it out, as I have done before, in-"

"Hush, Mrs. Griffin, for the Virgin's sake!" exclaimed poor Ally, who, from the love of finery, had been led to exchange her brother's corn, and property of even more value, for the trumpery which this genuine huxter palmed upon the village girl as "genteel."

Connor's generosity prevented his taking any notice of the interruption, further than saying, (what by the way was a great boast,) "that such thrifles couldn't inconvanience an O'Gorman at any time. First of all, he counted down