"No--not all out; still, Mr. M'Loughlin, somehow you don't treat me or
my family as neighbors. If you have to borrow anything, no matter what
it is, you never come to me for it. It was only the other day that you
wanted a rope to pull that breeding mare of yours out of the drain--and
yet you sent past me near half a mile, up to Widow Lenehan's to borrow
it."

"Heavens pity you, Val, for it's a hard case; but every one has their
troubles, and it seems you are not without your own, poor man--eh--ha!
ha! ha!--Well, never mind, my friend; you're better off now for all
that, than when you were only a process-server on the estate; however,
I'll tell you what, Val the Vulture--you see I can be neighborly
sometimes--just let me know whenever you stand in need of a rope--mark,
I don't say whenever you deserve it--and may I never taste worse liquor
than this, but you shall have it with right good will, hoping still that
you'll make a proper use of it--ha! ha! ha! Come, man, in the mean time
take your liquor, an' don't look as if you'd eat me without salt; for I
tell you if you tried it, you'd find Brian M'Loughlin a tougher morsel
than you imagine."

"If anybody else spoke to me in the style you do, Brian, I'd not be apt
to overlook it; upon my credit and reputation I would not."

"No, but you'd look round it may be, ha! ha! ha! but go on, Vulture, who
minds what I say?"

"Nobody, to be sure, because you make one laugh whether they will or
not."

"Faith, Vulture dear, and that's what nobody can tax you with; or if