“What is it, Anthony?” he inquired. “Oh, for that matther,” replied the other, “nothin' at all: think of what I said to you any how; swear through thick an' thin, if you have a regard for your own health, or for your childher. Maybe I had betther repate it again for you?” he continued, eyeing him with mingled fear and suspicion. “Dennis, as a friend, I bid you mind yourself this day, an' see you don't bring aither of us into throuble.” There lay before the Cassidys' houses a small flat of common, trodden into rings by the young horses they were in the habit of training. On this level space were assembled those who came, either to clear their own character from suspicion, or to witness the ceremony. The day was dark and lowering, and heavy clouds rolled slowly across the peaks of the surrounding mountains; scarcely a breath of air could be felt; and, as the country people silently approached, such was the closeness of the day, their haste to arrive in time, and their general anxiety, either for themselves or their friends, that almost every man, on reaching the spot, might be seen taking up the skirts of his “cothamore,” or “big coat,” (the peasant's handkerchief), to wipe the sweat from his brow; and as he took off his dingy woollen hat, or caubeen, the perspiration rose in strong exhalations from his head. “Michael, am I in time?” might be heard from such persons, as they arrived: “did this business begin yit?” “Full time, Larry; myself's here an hour ago but no appearance of anything as yit. Father Farrell and Squire Nicholson are both in Cassidys' waitin' till they're all gother, whin they'll begin to put thim through their facins. You hard about what they've got?” “No; for I'm only on my way home from the berril of a _cleaveen_ of mine, that we put down this mornin' in the Tullyard. What is it?” “Why man alive, it's through the whole parish _inready_;”--he then went on, lowering his voice to a whisper, and speaking in a tone bordering on dismay. The other crossed himself, and betrayed symptoms of awe and astonishment, not un-mingled with fear. “Well,” he replied, “I dunna whether I'd come here, if I'd known that; for, innocent or guilty, I would'nt wish to be near it. Och, may God pity thim that's to come acrass it, I espishily if they dare to do it in a lie!” “They needn't, I can tell yez both,” observed a third person, “be a hair afeard of it, for the best rason livin', that there's no thruth at all in the report, nor the Cassidys never thought of sindin' for anything o' the kind: I have it from Larry Cassidy's own lips, an' he ought to know best.” The truth is, that two reports were current among the crowd: one that the oath was to be simply on the Bible; and the other, that a more awful means of expurgation was resorted to by the Cassidys. The people, consequently, not knowing which to credit, felt that most painful of all sensations--uncertainty.