their ken; and those very personal properties, which before struck them
dumb with terror, already called forth their applause.

"What a fine man he is!" one would whisper, loud enough, however, to be
heard by the object of his panegyric.

"He is, indeed, and a rale gintleman," another would respond in the same
key.

"Hut! he's none of your proud, stingy upsthart bodagahs*--none of your
beggarly half-sirs*," a third would remark: "he's the dacent thing
entirely--you see he hasn't his heart in a thrifle."

* A person vulgar, but rich, without any pretensions but
those of wealth to the character of a gentleman; a churl.
Half-sir; the same as above.

"And so sign's on him," a fourth would add, with comic gravity, "he
wasn't bred to shabbiness, as you may know by his fine behavior and his
big whiskers."

When the punch was made, and the kitchen-table placed endwise towards
the fire, the stranger, finding himself very comfortable, inquired if he
could be accommodated with a bed and supper, to which Nancy replied in
the affirmative.

"Then, in that case," said he, "I will be your guest for the night."

Shane Fadh now took courage to repeat the story of old Squire Graham and
his horse with the loose shoe; informing the stranger, at the same time,