'"I can't find her," sez the Corp'ril man, an' wint out like the puff
av a candle.

'"Saints stand betune us an' evil!" sez Bragin, crossin' himself;
"that's Flahy av the Tyrone."

'"Who was he?" I sez, "for he has given me a dale av fightin' this
day."

'Bragin tould us that Flahy was a Corp'ril who lost his wife av cholera
in those quarters three years gone, an' wint mad, an' _walked_ afther
they buried him, huntin' for her.

'"Well," sez I to Bragin, "he's been hookin' out av Purgathory to kape
company wid Mrs. Bragin ivry evenin' for the last fortnight. You may
tell Mrs. Quinn, wid my love, for I know that she's been talkin' to
you, an' you've been listenin', that she ought to ondherstand the
differ 'twixt a man an' a ghost. She's had three husbands," sez I,
"an' _you_'ve got a wife too good for you. Instid av which you lave
her to be boddered by ghosts an'--an' all manner av evil spirruts.
I'll niver go talkin' in the way av politeness to a man's wife again.
Good-night to you both," sez I; an' wid that I wint away, havin' fought
wid woman, man and Divil all in the heart av an hour. By the same token
I gave Father Victor wan rupee to say a mass for Flahy's soul, me
havin' discommoded him by shticking my fist into his systim.'

'Your ideas of politeness seem rather large, Mulvaney,' I said.

'That's as you look at ut,' said Mulvaney calmly; 'Annie Bragin niver
cared for me. For all that, I did not want to leave anything behin'