all night, and that ould vagabone of a
sperit, glory be to God," says he,
"serenadin' through the house, an' doin' all
sorts iv mischief?" However, there was
no gettin' aff, and so he put a bould face
on it, an' he went up at nightfall with a
bottle of pottieen, and another of holy
wather.

'It was rainin' smart enough, an' the
evenin' was darksome and gloomy, when
my father got in; and what with the rain
he got, and the holy wather he sprinkled
on himself, it wasn't long till he had to
swally a cup iv the pottieen, to keep the
cowld out iv his heart. It was the ould
steward, Lawrence Connor, that opened
the door--and he an' my father wor
always very great. So when he seen who
it was, an' my father tould him how it
was his turn to watch in the castle, he
offered to sit up along with him; and you
may be sure my father wasn't sorry for
that same. So says Larry:

' "We'll have a bit iv fire in the
parlour," says he.

' "An' why not in the hall?" says my
father, for he knew that the squire's