confront the offince with your own ignorance, I would expose you before
the townland in which we stand; ay, to the whole parish--but I spare
you, out of respect to my own consequence."

"I ax your pardon," said the brother, "I won't offind you in the same
way again. What I said, I said to you as I thought a brother might--I ax
your pardon!"

There was a slight agitation approaching to a tremor in his brother's
voice, that betokened sorrow for his own impropriety in too familiarly
addressing Denis, and perhaps regret that so slight and inoffensive a
jest should have been so harshly received in the presence of strangers,
by a brother who in reality had been his idol. He reflected upon the
conversation held on that morning in the family, touching Denny's
prerogative in claiming a new and more deferential deportment from them
all; and he could not help feeling that there was in it a violation of
some natural principle long sacred to his heart. But the all-prevading
and indefinite awe felt for that sacerdotal character into which his
brother was about to enter, subdued all, and reconciled him to those
inroads upon violated Nature, despite her own voice, loudly expressed as
it was in his bosom.

When the family was once more assembled that night, Denis addressed them
in a tone, which implied that the _odium theologicum_ had not prevented
the contrition expressed by his brother from altogether effacing from
his mind the traces of his offence.

"Unworthy of respect," he proceeded, "as it appears by some of my
relations I am held," and he glanced at his brother, "yet I beg
permission to state, that our worthy parochial priest, or I should