"Well, sure, yir honor," replied Darby, "somethin' else might av' happened, an' who knows but it might 'a been worse?--there's no sayin' or accountin' for such things. Well, be that as it may, I began to walk on, feelin' afore me width my _horse_ (that never forsook me all the time) whether I was in the right road or not, till at last I comes all ov a suddent into the middle o' the town o' Lanesbro', with _raal_ candles (none ov yir _wisps_ or _lantherns_) burnin' in every window. Maybe I didn't know where I was then! So, mountin' my horse, sir, strad-legs, away I _canther'd_, blessin' my stars that I got on my journey so well and so far, width only a wettin' in the bog-holes an' ditches, and a scratch or two on my hands an' cheeks, that I made nothin' ov. 'Where will we put up for the night,' says I to my horse; but yir honor knows the _crathur_ cudn't answer me: so I tuk my own advice, an' went sthraight to 'The Cat and Bagpipes.' 'Will I get a lodgin' here the night?' says I to the lan'lady.--'Who are ye?' says she.--'Who am I!' I says; 'I'm yir honor's servant, on a mission,' says I, mentionin' yir name, masther.--'Can ye pay for a bed?' says she.--'Can money do it?' says I.--'To be sure,' says she.--'Then, look here,' says I; an' wid that I show'd her four and sixpence--for I only spent sixpence at the berrin'.--'Go into the kitchen,' says she, 'an' I'll see what I can do for ye.'--'Thank ye, ma'am,' says I. So I goes my ways into the kitchen, and sits down by the hob. That was very agreeable for a time; but, when I dried myself, an' wanted to go to bed after a drop or two, how d'ye think they sarved me? only sure, yir honor, by putting me in bed with a _furrener_,--nothin' more nor less than a _black_, savin' yir presence,--for it was the _fair_ night o' the town, and beds were scarce, an' not to be had for love or money; so I was _oblidged_ to sleep double, plaze ye, sir, in a two-bedded room. They tould me he was only a _sweep_; but he turned out to be a _raal_ black, to my sorrow!" "In what way?" inquired I. "Oh! in many ways, sir," replied Darby. "First and forenenst, he prevented me takin' my natural rest afore midnight; for I took a Bible oath on a child's catechism that I wouldn't enther the room where he was afore the _good people_ were gone to roost; for who knows what they might have made of me? Lord bless ye! they'd av' turn'd every hair o' my head into pump-handles, if they liked, afore morn! so I thought it best to sit up a while, an' kick up a bit ov a dance in the kitchen width Katheen the maid, an' two or three other _spreesans_ that were inclined for the fun; an' fine sport we had, to be sure, to the tune of '_The Hare in the Corn_,' and '_Roger de Cuvverly_,'--did ye ever trip it to 'Roger de Cuvverly,' yir honor? Oh! it's an illigant cure for the gout!" "I never dance," said I.