night in his father's house, but always rambling or going on his
_kailee_ (night visit) from place to place and from house to house, so
that the old people used to shake their heads and say to one another,
"It's easy seen what will happen to the land when the old man dies; his
son will run through it in a year, and it won't stand him that long
itself."

He used to be always gambling and card-playing and drinking, but his
father never minded his bad habits, and never punished him. But it
happened one day that the old man was told that the son had ruined the
character of a girl in the neighbourhood, and he was greatly angry, and
he called the son to him, and said to him, quietly and sensibly--"Avic,"
says he, "you know I loved you greatly up to this, and I never stopped
you from doing your choice thing whatever it was, and I kept plenty of
money with you, and I always hoped to leave you the house and land, and
all I had after myself would be gone; but I heard a story of you to-day
that has disgusted me with you. I cannot tell you the grief that I felt
when I heard such a thing of you, and I tell you now plainly that unless
you marry that girl I'll leave house and land and everything to my
brother's son. I never could leave it to anyone who would make so bad a
use of it as you do yourself, deceiving women and coaxing girls. Settle
with yourself now whether you'll marry that girl and get my land as a
fortune with her, or refuse to marry her and give up all that was coming
to you; and tell me in the morning which of the two things you have
chosen."

"Och! _Domnoo Sheery_! father, you wouldn't say that to me, and I such a
good son as I am. Who told you I wouldn't marry the girl?" says he.

But his father was gone, and the lad knew well enough that he would keep