Slevin, of Mullaghfadh?"--No reply. "Dan Fagan?"

"Present, sir."

"Do you know what keeps that reprobate from mass?"

"I bleeve he's takin' advantage, sir, of the frost, to get in his
praties to-day, in respect of the bad footin', sir, for the horses in
the bog when there's not a frost. Any how, betune that and a bit of a
sore head that he got, yer Reverence, on Thursday last in takin' part
wid the O'Scallaghans agin the Bradys, I bleeve he had to stay away
to-day."

"On the Sabbath day, too, without my leave! Well, tell him from me, that
I'll make an example of him to the whole parish, if he doesn't attend
mass better. Will the Bradys and the O'Scallaghans never be done with
their quarrelling? I protest, if they don't live like Christians, I'll
read them out from the altar. Will you tell Parrah More that I'll hold a
station in his house on next Wednesday?"

"I will, sir; I will, yer Reverence."

"_On Thursday, in Phaddhy Sheemus Phaddhy's of the Esker_. Are you
there, Phaddhy?"'

"Wid the help of God, I'm here, sir."

"Well, Phaddhy, how is yer son Briney, that's at the Latin? I hope he's
coming on well at it."