roundfacin’myfather，“isityouthat’sinit？——an’how’sallwithyou，TerryNeil？“
　　’“Atyourhonour’ssarvice，“saysmyfatheraswellasthefrightidlethim，forhewasmoredeadthanalive，“an’
　　it’sproudIamtoseeyourhonourto-
　　night，“sayshe。
　　’“Terence，“saysthesquire，“you’rearespectableman“an’itwasthrueforhim，“anindusthrious，soberman，an’anexampleofinebrietytothewholeparish，“
　　sayshe。
　　’“Thankyourhonour，“saysmyfather，gettin’courage，“youwerealwaysacivilspokengintleman，Godrestyourhonour。“
　　’“RESTmyhonour？“saysthesperitfairlygettin’redinthefacewiththemadness，“Restmyhonour？“sayshe。
　　“Why，youignorantspalpeen，“sayshe，“youmane，niggarlyignoramush，“sayshe，“wheredidyoulaveyourmanners？“
　　sayshe。“IfIAMdead，it’snofaultivmine，“sayshe；“an’it’snottobethruninmyteethateveryhand’sturn，bythelikesivyou，“sayshe，stampin’hisfootantheflure，thatyou’dthinktheboordsidsmashundtherhim。
　　’“Oh，“saysmyfather，“I’monlyafoolish，ignorantpoorman，“sayshe。
　　’“You’renothingelse，“saysthesquire：
　　“butanyway，“sayshe，“it’snottobelistenin’toyourgosther，norconvarsin’
　　withthelikesivyou，thatIcameUP——
　　downImane，“sayshe——an’aslittleasthemistakewas，myfathertuknoticeivit。“Listentomenow，TerenceNeil，“
　　sayshe：“IwasalwaysagoodmasthertoPathrickNeil，yourgrandfather，“sayshe。
　　’“’Tisthrueforyourhonour，“saysmyfather。
　　’“And，moreover，IthinkIwasalwaysasober，riglargintleman，“saysthesquire。
　　’“That’syourname，sureenough，“saysmyfatherthoughitwasabiglieforhim，buthecouldnothelpit。
　　’“Well，“saysthesperit，“althoughI
　　wasassoberasmostmen——atlasteasmostgintlemin，“sayshe；“an’thoughI
　　wasatdifferentpariodsamostextemporyChristian，andmostcharitableandinhumantothepoor，“sayshe；“forallthatI’mnotasasywhereIamnow，“sayshe，“asIhadarighttoexpect，“sayshe。
　　’“An’more’sthepity，“saysmyfather。
　　“MaybeyourhonouridwishtohaveawordwithFatherMurphy？“
　　’“Houldyourtongue，youmisherablebliggard，“saysthesquire；“it’snotivmysowlI’mthinkin’——an’Iwondtheryou’dhavetheimpitencetotalktoagintlemanconsarnin’hissowl；andwhenIwantTHATfixed，“sayshe，slappin’histhigh，“I’llgotothemthatknowswhatbelongstothelikes，“sayshe。“It’snotmysowl，“
　　sayshe，sittin’downopossitemyfather；
　　“it’snotmysowlthat’sannoyin’memost——I’munasyonmyrightleg，“sayshe，“thatIbrukatGlenvarlochcoverthedayIkilledblackBarney。“
　　’Myfatherfoundoutafther，itwasafavouritehorsethatfellundherhim，aftherleapin’thebigfencethatrunsalongbytheglin。
　　’“Ihope，“saysmyfather，“yourhonour’snotunasyaboutthekillin’ivhim？“
　　’“Houldyourtongue，yefool，“saidthesquire，“an’I’lltellyouwhyI’munasyonmyleg，“sayshe。“Intheplace，whereI
　　spendmostivmytime，“sayshe，“exceptthelittleleisureIhaveforlookin’aboutmehere，“sayshe，“IhavetowalkagreatdalemorethanIwaseverusedto，“sayshe，“andbyfarmorethanisgoodformeeither，“
　　sayshe；“forImusttellyou，“sayshe，“thepeoplewhereIamisancommonlyfondivcowldwather，forthereisnothin’
　　betthertobehad；an’，moreover，theweatherishotterthanisaltogetherplisant，“
　　sayshe；“andI’mappinted，“sayshe，“toassistincarryin’thewather，an’getsamightypoorshareivitmyself，“sayshe，“an’amightythroublesome，wearin’jobitis，Icantellyou，“sayshe；“forthey’reallivthemsurprisinlydthry，an’dthrinksitasfastasmylegscancarryit，“sayshe；
　　“butwhatkillsmeintirely，“sayshe，“isthewakenessinmyleg，“sayshe，“an’I
　　wantyoutogiveitapullortwotobringittoshape，“sayshe，“andthat’sthelongan’theshortivit，“sayshe。
　　’“Oh，plaseyourhonour，“saysmyfatherforhedidn’tliketohandlethesperitatall，“Iwouldn’thavetheimpidencetodothelikestoyourhonour，“
　　sayshe；“it’sonlytopoorcrathurslikemyselfI’ddoitto，“sayshe。
　　’“Noneivyourblarney，“saysthesquire。“Here’smyleg，“sayshe，cockin’
　　ituptohim——“pullitforthebarelife，“
　　sayshe；an’“ifyoudon’t，bytheimmortialpowersI’llnotlaveaboneinyourcarcishI’llnotpowdher，“sayshe。
　　’Whenmyfatherheerdthat，heseentherewasnouseinpurtendin’，sohetukhouldivtheleg，an’hekep’pullin’an’
　　pullin’，tillthesweat，Godblessus，beginnedtopourdownhisface。
　　’“Pull，youdivil!“saysthesquire。
　　’“Atyoursarvice，yourhonour，“saysmyfather。
　　“’Pullharder，“saysthesquire。
　　’Myfatherpulledlikethedivil。
　　’“I’lltakealittlesup，“saysthesquire，rachin’overhishandtothebottle，“tokeepupmycourage，“sayshe，lettin’antobeverywakeinhimselfintirely。But，ascuteashewas，hewasouthere，forhetukthewrongone。“Here’stoyourgoodhealth，Terence，“sayshe；“an’nowpullliketheverydivil。“An’withthatheliftedthebottleofholywather，butitwashardlytohismouth，whinheletascreechout，you’dthinktheroomidfairlysplitwithit，an’madeonechuckthatsentthelegclaneaffhisbodyinmyfather’shands。
　　Downwintthesquireoverthetable，an’
　　bangwintmyfatherhalf-wayacrosstheroomonhisback，upontheflure。Whinhekemtohimselfthecheerfulmornin’sunwasshinin’throughthewindyshutthers，an’hewaslyingflatanhisback，withthelegivoneofthegreatouldchairspulledclaneoutivthesocketan’tightinhishand，pintin’uptotheceilin’，an’ouldLarryfastasleep，an’snorin’asloudasever。Myfatherwintthatmornin’toFatherMurphy，an’fromthattothedayofhisdeath，heneverneglectedconfissionnormass，an’whathetouldwasbettherbelievedthathespakeavitbutseldom。
　　An’，asforthesquire，thatisthesperit，whetheritwasthathedidnotlikehisliquor，orbyrasonivthelossivhisleg，hewasneverknowntowalkagin。’
　　THEFORTUNESOFSIRROBERTARDAGH。
　　BeingasecondExtractfromthePapersofthelateFatherPurcell。
　　’Theearthhathbubblesasthewaterhath——
　　Andtheseareofthem。’
　　InthesouthofIreland，andonthebordersofthecountyofLimerick，thereliesadistrictoftwoorthreemilesinlength，whichisrenderedinterestingbythefactthatitisoneoftheveryfewspotsthroughoutthiscountry，inwhichsomevestigesofaboriginalforeststillremain。IthaslittleornoneofthelordlycharacteroftheAmericanforest，fortheaxehasfelleditsoldestanditsgrandesttrees；butintheclosewoodwhichsurvives，liveallthewildandpleasingpeculiaritiesofnature：
　　itscompleteirregularity，itsvistas，inwhoseperspectivethequietcattlearepeacefullybrowsing；itsrefreshingglades，wherethegreyrocksarisefromamidthenoddingfern；thesilveryshaftsoftheoldbirchtrees；theknottedtrunksofthehoaryoak，thegrotesquebutgracefulbrancheswhichnevershedtheirhonoursunderthetyrantpruning-hook；thesoftgreensward；thechequeredlightandshade；thewildluxuriantweeds；thelichenandthemoss——all，allarebeautifulalikeinthegreenfreshnessofspring，orinthesadnessandsereofautumn。Theirbeautyisofthatkindwhichmakestheheartfullwithjoy——appealingtotheaffectionswithapowerwhichbelongstonatureonly。
　　Thiswoodrunsup，frombelowthebase，totheridgeofalonglineofirregularhills，havingperhaps，inprimitivetimes，formedbuttheskirtingofsomemightyforestwhichoccupiedthelevelbelow。
　　Butnow，alas!whitherhavewedrifted？
　　whitherhasthetideofcivilisationborneus？Ithaspassedoveralandunpreparedforit——ithasleftnakednessbehindit；wehavelostourforests，butourmaraudersremain；wehavedestroyedallthatispicturesque，whilewehaveretainedeverythingthatisrevoltinginbarbarism。Throughthemidstofthiswoodlandthererunsadeepgullyorglen，wherethestillnessofthesceneisbrokeninuponbythebrawlingofamountain-stream，which，however，inthewinterseason，swellsintoarapidandformidabletorrent。
　　Thereisonepointatwhichtheglenbecomesextremelydeepandnarrow；thesidesdescendtothedepthofsomehundredfeet，andaresosteepastobenearlyperpendicular。Thewildtreeswhichhavetakenrootinthecranniesandchasmsoftherockhavesointersectedandentangled，thatonecanwithdifficultycatchaglimpseofthestream，whichwheels，flashes，andfoamsbelow，asifexultinginthesurroundingsilenceandsolitude。
　　Thisspotwasnotunwiselychosen，asapointofnoordinarystrength，fortheerectionofamassivesquaretowerorkeep，onesideofwhichrisesasifincontinuationoftheprecipitouscliffonwhichitisbased。
　　Originally，theonlymodeofingresswasbyanarrowportalintheverywallwhichovertoppedtheprecipice，openinguponaledgeofrockwhichaffordedaprecariouspathway，cautiouslyintersected，however，byadeeptrenchcutwithgreatlabourinthelivingrock；sothat，initsoriginalstate，andbeforetheintroductionofartilleryintotheartofwar，thistowermighthavebeenpronounced，andthatnotpresumptuously，almostimpregnable。
　　Theprogressofimprovementandtheincreasingsecurityofthetimeshad，however，tempteditssuccessiveproprietors，ifnottoadorn，atleasttoenlargetheirpremises，andataboutthemiddleofthelastcentury，whenthecastlewaslastinhabited，theoriginalsquaretowerformedbutasmallpartoftheedifice。
　　Thecastle，andawidetractofthesur-
　　roundingcountry，hadfromtimeimmemorialbelongedtoafamilywhich，fordistinctness，weshallcallbythenameofArdagh；andowingtotheassociationswhich，inIreland，almostalwaysattachtosceneswhichhavelongwitnessedaliketheexerciseofsternfeudalauthority，andofthatsavagehospitalitywhichdistinguishedthegoodoldtimes，thisbuildinghasbecomethesubjectandthesceneofmanywildandextraordinarytraditions。OneofthemIhavebeenenabled，byapersonalacquaintancewithaneye-witnessoftheevents，totracetoitsorigin；andyetitishardtosaywhethertheeventswhichIamabouttorecordappearmorestrangeorimprobableasseenthroughthedistortingmediumoftradition，orintheappallingdimnessofuncertaintywhichsurroundsthereality。
　　Traditionsaysthat，sometimeinthelastcentury，SirRobertArdagh，ayoungman，andthelastheirofthatfamily，wentabroadandservedinforeignarmies；andthat，havingacquiredconsiderablehonourandemolument，hesettledatCastleArdagh，thebuildingwehavejustnowattemptedtodescribe。HewaswhatthecountrypeoplecallaDARKman；thatis，hewasconsideredmorose，reserved，andill-tempered；and，asitwassupposedfromtheuttersolitudeofhislife，wasuponnotermsofcordialitywiththeothermembersofhisfamily。
　　Theonlyoccasionuponwhichhebrokethroughthesolitarymonotonyofhislifewasduringthecontinuanceoftheracingseason，andimmediatelysubsequenttoit；
　　atwhichtimehewastobeseenamongthebusiestuponthecourse，bettingdeeplyandunhesitatingly，andinvariablywithsuccess。SirRobertwas，however，toowellknownasamanofhonour，andoftoohighafamily，tobesuspectedofanyunfairdealing。Hewas，moreover，asoldier，andamanofanintrepidaswellasofahaughtycharacter；andnoonecaredtohazardasurmise，theconsequencesofwhichwouldbefeltmostprobablybyitsoriginatoronly。
　　Gossip，however，wasnotsilent；itwasremarkedthatSirRobertneverappearedattherace-ground，whichwastheonlyplaceofpublicresortwhichhefrequented，exceptincompanywithacertainstrange-