he gave a somewhat stern glance round the room—“I’m a little ashamed to hear so much chat and nonsense given to a strange gentleman like as if it was so much gospel. However, you mustn’t be too hard in your thoughts on the poor people here, sir, for they’re good people—none better in all Ireland—in all the world for that—but they talk too free to do themselves justice.” All those present were silent for awhile. Old Moynahan was the first to speak. “Well, Father Pether, I don’t say nothin’ about Saint[Pg 32] Pathrick an’ the shnakes, meself, because I don’t know nothin’ about them; but I know that me own father tould me that he seen the Frinchmin wid his own eyes crossin’ the sthrame below, an’ facin’ up the mountain. The moon was risin’ in the west, an’ the hill threw a big shadda. There was two min an’ two horses, an’ they had a big box on a gun carriage. Me father seen them cross the sthrame. The load was so heavy that the wheels sunk in the clay, an’ the min had to pull at them to git them up again. An’ didn’t he see the marks iv the wheels in the ground the very nixt day?” [Pg 32] “Bartholomew Moynahan, are you telling the truth?” interrupted the priest, speaking sternly. “Throth an I am, Father Pether; divil a word iv a lie in all I’ve said.” “Then how is it you’ve never told a word of this before?” “But I have tould it, Father Pether. There’s more nor wan here now what has heered me tell it; but they wor tould as a saycret!” “Thrue for ye!” came the chorus of almost every person in the room. The unanimity was somewhat comic and caused amongst them a shamefaced silence, which lasted quite several seconds. The pause was not wasted, for by this time Mrs. Kelligan had brewed another jug of punch, and glasses were replenished. This interested the little crowd and they entered afresh into the subject. As for myself, however, I felt strangely uncomfortable. I could not quite account for it in any reasonable way. [Pg 33] [Pg 33] I suppose there must be an instinct in men as well as in the lower orders of animal creation—I felt as though there were a strange presence near me. I quietly looked round. Close to where I sat, on the sheltered side of the house, was a little window built in the deep recess of the wall, and,
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