"Confound you, for a knot of lazy scoundrels," exclaimed the stranger,
"why do you sit here so calmly, while any being craves admittance on
such a night as this? Here, you lubber in the corner, with a pipe in
your mouth, come and put up this horse of mine until the night settles."

"May the blessed mother purtect us!" exclaimed Nancy, in a whisper,
to Andy Morrow, "if I blieve he's a right thing!--would it be the ould
Square? Did you ever set your eyes upon sich a"--

"Will you bestir yourself, you boor, and' not keep my horse and saddle
out under such a torrent?" he cried, "otherwise I must only bring him
into the house, and then you may say for once that you've had the devil
under your roof."

"Paddy Smith, you lazy spalpeen," said Nancy, winking at Ned to
have nothing to do with the horse, "why don't you fly and put up the
gintleman's horse? And you, Atty, avourneen, jist go out with him, and
hould the candle while he's doin' it: be quick now, and I'll give you
glasses a-piece when you come in."

"Let them put him up quickly; but I say, you Caliban," added the
stranger, addressing Smith, "don't be rash about him except you can bear
fire and brimstone; get him, at all events, a good feed of oats. Poor
Satan!" he continued, patting the horse's head, which was now within the
door, "you've had a hard night of it, my poor Satan, as well as myself.
That's my dark spirit--my brave chuck, that fears neither man nor
devil."

This language was by no means calculated to allay the suspicions of
those who were present, particularly of Nancy and her two nieces. Ned