When Tom had finished the account of Davy Roche and the berrin, it became quite evident that spirits, of some sort, were working too strong within him to admit of his telling many more tales of the good people. Tom seemed conscious of this. He muttered for a few minutes broken sentences concerning churchyards, river-sides, leprechauns, and _dina magh_,[37] which were quite unintelligible, perhaps, to himself, certainly to Mr. Martin and his lady. At length he made a slight motion of the head upwards, as if he would say, "I can talk no more;" stretched his arm on the table, upon which he placed the empty tumbler slowly, and with the most knowing and cautious air; and rising from his chair, walked, or rather rolled, to the parlour door. Here he turned round to face his host and hostess; but after various ineffectual attempts to bid them good-night, the words, as they rose, being always choked by a violent hiccup, while the door, which he held by the handle, swung to and fro, carrying his unyielding body along with it, he was obliged to depart in silence. The cow-boy, sent by Tom's wife, who knew well what sort of allurement detained him when he remained out after a certain hour, was in attendance to conduct his master home. I have no doubt that he returned without meeting any material injury, as I know that within the last month he was, to use his own words, "as stout and hearty a man as any of his age in the county Cork." [Footnote 31: _Bohereen_, or _bogheen_, _i.e._, a green lane.] [Footnote 32: _Berrin_, burying.] [Footnote 33: _Shamous_, James.] [Footnote 34: _'Cute_, acute.] [Footnote 35: _Inch_, low meadow ground near a river.] [Footnote 36: _Worse_, more.] [Footnote 37: _Daoine maithe_, _i.e._, the good people.] THE PUDDING BEWITCHED. WILLIAM CARLETON.