"Murdher alive, mother!" she exclaimed, "what is this? Hallo! a
tobaccy-box--a fine round tobaccy-box of iron, bedad--an what's this on
it!--let me see; two letthers. Wait till I rub the rust off; or stay,
the rust shows them as well. Let me see--P. an' what's the other? ay,
an' M. P. M.--arra, what can that be for? Well, devil may care! let it
lie on the shelf there. Here now--none of your cross looks, I say--put
these cobwebs to your face, an' they'll stop the bleedin'. Ha, ha,
ha!--well--ha, ha, ha!--but you are a sight to fall in love wid this
minute!" she exclaimed, laughing heartily at the blood-stained visage
of the other. "You won't spake, I see. Divil may care then, if you don't
you'll do the other thing--let it alone: but, at any rate, there's the
cobwebs for you, if you like to put them on; an' so _bannatht latht_,
an' let that be a warnin' to you not to raise your hand to me again.

'A sailor courted a farmer's daughter
That lived contageous to the isle of Man,'" &c.

She then directed her steps to the dance in Kilnahushogue, where one
would actually suppose, if mirth, laughter, and extraordinary buoyancy
of spirits could be depended on, that she was gifted, in addition to her
remarkable beauty, with the innocent and delightful disposition of an
angel.

The step-mother having dressed the wound as well as she could, sat down
by the fire and began to ruminate on the violent contest which had just
taken place, and in which she had borne such an unfortunate part. This
was the first open and determined act of personal resistance which she
had ever, until that moment, experienced at her step-daughter's hands;
but now she feared that, if they were to live, as heretofore, under
the same roof, their life would be one of perpetual strife--perhaps