“Faitha, sir, I was there sure enough, in spite o’ Father M’Cabe, an’ all.”

“Sit down, my good friend, sit down—­well, you attended the sermon, you say—­pray how did you like it?”

“Faitha, sir, sure nobody could dislike it bedad, sir, we’re all greatly disappointed wid the priests afther hearin’ it—­it was wondherful to hear, the deep larnin’ you brought forrid, sir, against them, an’ our church in gineral.  Begad myself was mightily improved by it.”

“Don’t swear, though—­well you were improved by it, you say—­pray what is your name?”

“I’m one Paddy Cummins, sir, a shister’s son of—­”

“Well, Cummins, I’m very happy to hear that you were edified, and happier still that you had sense to perceive the side upon which truth lay.”

“Faitha, thin, your reverence, I seen that widout much throuble; but, sure they say, sir, there’s to be a power of us turnin’ over to yez.”

“I hope so, Cummins—­we are anxious that you should see the errors of the creed you so ignorantly profess, and abandon them.”

“Sure enough, sir—­dad, sir, your ministhers is fine men, so you are—­then you’re so rich, sir, plaise your honor—­they do be sayin’, sir, that the reverend gintlemen of your church have got a great deal of money among them somehow, in regard that it ’ud be needful to help poor crathurs that ’ud turn, and keep them from the parsecution, sir.”

“Cummins, my good friend, allow me to set you right.  We never give a penny of money to any one for the sake of bringing him over to our church; if converts come to us it must be from conviction, not from interest.”

“I see, sir—­but sure I’m not wantin’ the promise at all, your honor—­sure I know you must keep yourselves clear anyway—­only the five guineas a head that I’m tould is to be given.”

“Five guineas a head!—­pray who told you so?”

“Faitha, sir, I couldn’t exactly say, but every one says it.  It’s said we’re to get five guineas a head, sir, and be provided for afther; I have nine o’ them, sir, eight crathurs and Biddy herself—­she can’t spake English, but, wid the help o’ God, I could consthre it for her.  Faith, she’d make a choice Prodestan, sir, for wanst she takes a thing into her head the devil wouldn’t get it out.  As for me, I don’t want a promise at all, your reverence, barrin’ that if it ‘ud be plaisin’ to you, jist to lay your forefinger along your nose—­merely to show that we undherstand one another—­it ’ud be as good to me as the bank.  The crathur on the breast, your reverence, we’d throw in as a luck penny, or dhuragh, and little Paddy we give at half price.”

“Did you hear all this?”

“Faitha, then, we did, sir—­and sure, as you don’t like to have the thing known, I can keep my tongue atween my teeth as well as e’er a convart livin’—­an’ as for Biddy, by only keepin’ her from the dhrink, she’s as close as the gate of heaven to a heretic.  Bedad, sir, this new light bates everything.”