This annoyance, however, was of short duration, for Ussher passed him with a slight unembarrassed nod, as if nothing had passed between them on the previous evening--as if they were still good friends, and had met and been talking together but a short time before. Ussher had walked by quickly, and there was a look of satisfaction or rather gratified vanity in his face; he seemed, also, absorbed with the subject of his thoughts; Thady, however, as soon as he had passed, took but little notice of him, but walked on into the kitchen, at the rear of the house. Here, on a small settle by the fireside, where he had been placed out of the way by Biddy or Katty, sat a ragged bare-legged little boy, known as Patsy, the priest's gossoon; he was the only assistant Judy had in the management of Father John's _menage_. He ran on errands to Drumsna, and occasionally to Carrick-on-Shannon--fetched the priest's letters--dug his potatoes--planted his cabbages, and cleaned his horse Paul. He had now come up to Ballycloran with a message to Thady, and having been desired to stay there till he could see him himself, he had been quietly sitting in the kitchen since a little after Thady had first left the house; he now jumped up to give his message. "Misther Thady, yer honer, Father John says as how he'll be glad av yer honer'll come down to dinner with him at six; and he says as how you must come, Mr. Thady, because divil a bit he'll ate himself, he says, till you're in it." "For shame, Patsy!" interposed Biddy, "putting those words into his riverence's mouth. I'm sure thin Father John wasn't cursing that way." "Faix thin, ma'am, thim wor his very words--'Tell Mr. Thady, av he don't come down to the cottage to his dinner this day, divil a bit will I ate till he does.'" "Well, to hear the brat!" continued Biddy, shocked at the indecorous language which was put into her priest's mouth. "And who's to be at Father John's else?" said Thady. "Sorrow a one av me rightly knows thin, for I wasn't hearing; all I wor told wor, I warn't to come out of this widout yer honer." "But I can't go to-night, Patsy." "But Father John says you must, Mr. Thady." "Tell Father John, Patsy, that I am very much obliged to him, but that I'm not just well enough to come out to-night. I couldn't go to-night, do you hear; go down and tell him so, or he'll be waiting dinner." "But, Mr. Thady," said the boy, half sobbing, "Father John said as how I warn't to come at all widout you." "Do as I tell you, you fool; but mind you tell Father John I'm very much obliged to him, only I'm ill." "Well," muttered the boy, at length taking his departure, "I know Father John 'll be very mad, but any way it ain't my fault." Thady was gratified with the priest's invitation, for it showed that he at least had forgiven him; but he did not dare to face him by accepting it.