“Indeed, your Reverence, you jist hot it--the Lord bless you, and spare you to the parents that reared ye; an' proud people may they be at having the likes of 'im, Katty avourneen”--turning abruptly to Katty, that she might disarm my interogatories on this tender subject with a better grace--“proud people, as I said afore, the Lord may spare him to them!” We here topped a little hill, and saw the spire of a steeple, and the skirts of a country town, which a passenger told us was about three miles distant. My feet by this time were absolutely in griskins, nor was I by any means prepared for a most unexpected proposal, which the spokeswoman, after some private conversation with the other, undertook to make. I could not imagine what the purport of the dialogue was; but I easily saw, that I myself was the subject of it, for I could perceive them glance at me occasionally, as if they felt a degree of hesitation in laying down the matter for my approval; at length she opened it with great adroitness:--“Musha, an' to be sure he will, Katty dear an' darlin'--and mightn't you know he would--the refusin' to do it isn't in his face, as any body that has eyes to see may know--you ashamed!--and what for would ye be ashamed?--asthore, it's 'imself that's not proud, or he wouldn't tramp it, barefooted, along wud two ould crathurs like huz; him that has no sin to answer for--but I'll spake to 'im myself, and yell see it's he that won't refuse it. Why thin, your Reverence, Katty an' I war thinkin', that as there's only three of us, an' the town's afore us, where we'll rest a while, plaise God--for by that time the shower that's away over there will be comin' down;--that as there's but three of us, would it be any harm if we sed a bit of a Rosary, and your Reverence to join us?” This was, indeed, a most unexpected attack; but it was evident that I was set down by this curious woman as a paragon of piety; though indeed her object was rather to smooth the way in my mind, for what she intended should be a very excellent opinion of her own godliness.