and who, when she was alive, could beat the whole county round at any sort of reel, jig, or hornpipe.  The music struck up ‘Tatter Jack Walsh,’ and maybe it’s she that didn’t set, and turn, and thrush the boords, until the young prince hadn’t as much breath left in his body as would blow out a rushlight, and he was forced to sit down puffing and panting, and laving his partner standing in the middle of the room.  I couldn’t stand that by no means; so jumping upon the flure with a shilloo, I flung my cap into the air:—­the music stopped of a sudden, and I then recollected that, by throwing off the cap, I had become visible, and had lost one of Mahoon’s three gifts.

    [2] A hundred thousand welcomes.

“Divil may care! as Punch said when he missed mass; I’ll have my dance out at any rate, so rouse up ‘The Rakes of Mallow,’ my beauties.  So to it we set; and when the cailleen was getting tired well becomes myself, but I threw my arm around her slindher waist and took such a smack of her sweet lips, that the hall resounded with the report.

“‘Fetch me a glass of the best,’ says I to a little fellow who was hopping about with a tray full of all sorts of dhrink.

“‘Fetch it yourself, Felix Donovan.  Who’s your sarvant now?’ says the chap, docking up his chin as impident as a tinker’s dog.  I felt my fingers itching to give the fellow a polthogue[3] in the ear; but I thought I might as well keep myself paceable in a strange place—­so I only gave him a contemptible look, and turned my back upon him.

    [3] A thump.

“‘Felix jewel!’ whispered Anty in my ear.  ’You’ve lost your power over the fairies by that misfortunate kiss—­’

“‘Diaoul!—­there’s two of Mahoon’s gifts gone already,’ thinks I,

“‘If you’ll take my advice,’ says Anty, ’you’ll be off out of this as fast as you can.”

“‘The sorra foot I’ll stir out of this,’ says I ’unless you come along with me ma callieen dhas[4]—­’

    [4] My pretty girl.

“I wish you could have seen the deluding look she gave me as leaning her head upon my shoulder she whispered to me in a voice sweeter than music of a dream,

“’Felix dear!  I’ll go with you all the world over, and the sooner we take to the road the better.  Steal you out of the door, and I’ll follow you in a few minutes.’

“Accordingly I sneaked away as quietly as I could; they were all too busy with their divarsions to mind me—­and at the door I met Anty with her apron full of goold and diamonds.

“‘Now,’ said she, ‘where’s the kippeen Mahoon gave you?’

“‘Here it is safe enough,’ I answered, pulling it out of my breeches pocket.

“‘Well, now tell it to become a coach-and-four.’

“I did as she desired me—­and in a moment there was a grand coach and four prancing horses before us.  You may be sure we did not stand admiring very long, but both stepped in, and away we drove like the wind,—­until we came to a high wall; so high that it tired me to look to the top of it.