him that owned it, an' that was brought to his account so suddenly and
so terribly. There," he added, fixing it upon them; "it helps to keep
you warm at any rate; an' it's surely betther to have it so employed
than hangin' idle, as I said, against the wall."

M'Gowan immediately sat up in the bed, and putting down his hands,
removed the coat.

"We don't want it at all," he replied; "take it away, Jerry--do, for
heaven's sake. The night's not at all so cowld as you think, an' we'll
keep one another warm enough wid-out it, never fear."

"Troth you do want it," said Sullivan; "for fareer gair, it's the light
coverin' that's over you an' them, poor boys. Heighho, Dan, see what
innocence is--poor things, they're sound already--an' may God pity them
an' provide for them, or enable me to do it!" And as he looked down upon
the sleeping lads, the tears came so abundantly to his eyes, that he was
forced to wipe them away. "Keep the coat, Dan," he added; "you do want
it."

"No," replied the other. "The truth is, I couldn't sleep under it. I'm
very timersome, an' a little thing frightens me."

"Oh," said Sullivan, "I didn't think of that: in troth, if you're
timersome, it's more than the world b'lieves of you. Well, well--I'll
hang it up again; so good night, an' a sound sleep to you, an' to every
man that has a free conscience in the sight of God!"

No response was given to this prayer, and his words were followed by a
deep and solemn silence, that was only broken occasionally by the heavy