I told him.

'There are two branches of the Synges in the County Wicklow,' he
said, and then he went on to tell me fragments of folk-lore
connected with my forefathers. How a lady used to ride through
Roundwood 'on a curious beast' to visit an uncle of hers in
Roundwood Park, and how she married one of the Synges and got her
weight in gold--eight stone of gold--as her dowry stories that
referred to events which took place more than a hundred years ago.

When he had finished I told him how much I wondered at his knowledge
of the country.

'There's not a family I don't know,' he said, 'from Baltinglass to
the sea, and what they've done, and who they've married. You don't
know me yet, but if you were a while in this place talking to
myself, it's more pleasure and gratitude you'd have from my company
than you'd have maybe from many a gentleman you'd meet riding or
driving a car.'

By this time we had reached a wayside public-house, where he was
evidently going with his can, so, as I did not wish to part with him
so soon, I asked him to come in and take something with me. When we
went into the little bar-room, which was beautifully clean, I asked
him what he would have. He turned to the publican:

'Have you any good whisky at the present time?' he said.

'Not now, nor at any time,' said the publican, 'we only keep bad;
but isn't it all the same for the likes of you that wouldn't know