"I'll engage I wont, your honour; sarrow drunk nor drunk, you'll see me, if I was twenty years in your service, without your own free leave and liberty."

"Well, Dennis, you were huntsman or whipper-in to Mr. Sullivan, in the county of Galway; I have some knowledge of that gentleman. Have you got a recommendation from him?"

"Here it is, your honour, and as good a commendation as ever you clapped your two looking eyes upon-so it is; and why wouldn't it, any how? I have it here, somewhere in my mother's ould thrash-bag-God be with her! she has as many pockets in it, as if she was as rich as a Jew, though after all, sarrow pocket nor pocket she had to keep it in. -Arrah! thunder and turf, where is it? surely I hav'n't lost it! By-No, your honour, here it is, and fine writin it is too, and why wouldn't it, for nonoch it is himself that could write and read too, not all as one. 'Twould do

your heart as much good to hear him read, as to hear the hounds on St. Stephen's day in full cry after a fox on the plains of Racrochan." So saying, he put his recommendation into sir Henry's hands.

While he was perusing it, Clementina, who had now lost all fear of Dennis, felt a curiosity to examine his thrash-bag. With this intention she walked slowly and cautiously up to him, while he stood with his cap between his thighs, and his thrash-bag, which was two yards long, extended at full length, with a tow string twice its own length hanging to one end of it. Clementina could not help smiling at the number of pockets which this bag contained. They were made out of scraps of cloths, cottons, and callicoes, of all colours and patterns.

Dennis, who had scarcely ever beheld a more beautiful creature than Clementina, became somewhat confused as he saw her approaching, and at length began inE6 stinctively

stinctively to retreat backwards. Clementina enjoyed his confusion, and therefore kept closing upon him, knitting her brows, and looking as angry as she could, which increased the confusion of Dennis at the same time. He kept retreating accordingly, till he got his back to the door, and finding no means of escaping without turning his back upon his enemy, he thought it high time to parley.-" I ax your honour's pardon, Miss, if I have said any offence, for sure enough I had no notion; but if it be only a likin you are after takin to the thrash-bag, you may have it, and a thousand welcomes, though 'tis the only keepsake I have from my ould mother, God knows."

"Well, Dennis," said sir Henry, who was greatly amused by the rencounter between him and Clementina,

6

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this

certificate requires some explanation.I certify that Dennis Hanlon lived

with me for the space of three years, in the the capacity of a whipper-in, and that he behaved himself, during that time, faithfully and honestly as far as it concerned me. I now discharge him at his own request, as he does not find it convenient to remain longer in this part of the country.-PATRICK SULLIVAN.'

"There is something in this certificate which I do not understand; perhaps you can assist me in explaining it. What made you leave Mr. Sullivan? or were you not obliged to fly from justice, and the laws of your country?"

66

Well then, your honour, I was obliged to run away sure enough, though, in troth, I didn't think that it was Mr. Sullivan that would be after turning informer neither, axing his pardon for saying so, for the world knows, let alone me, that it didn't belong neither to himself, nor to any of his family; but as for runnin away from law and justice, that's all nonsense, but only from no justice I run away; for sarrow neither law nor justice justice would be in the case at all at all, and so that's the whole truth of the story."

" He is a knave, sir Henry; I would advise you to have nothing to do with him," said Mrs. Elizabeth.

"I

"Or more likely some villain, with his hands reeking with the blood of some fellow-creature," said Mr. Grame. think he ought to be apprehended, and sent back to meet the judgment of the laws, which he has, in all probability, violated."

" Lord have mercy upon us!" cried Mrs. Elizabeth, "surely we have not a murderer in our presence! I protest to Heaven his hands are bloody! God! take him away, or I shall die with terror!"

Oh

Every one looked at Dennis's hands, who instinctively held them out at the conclusion of Mrs. Elizabeth's remark, and shewed marks of blood. Clementina shuddered-Mrs. Elizabeth looked

amiably