“Now one would be apt to think the appearance of a spaking dog might be after fright’ning the ladies; but doesn’t all the world know that spaking puppies are their greatest favorites?  Instead of that, you see, there was half a dozen fierce-looking whiskered fellows, and three or four half-pay officers, that were nearer making off than the ladies.  But, besides the cigar, the dog had his beautiful eye-glass, and through it, while he was spaking to Father Flannigan, he ogled all the ladies, one after another, and when his eye would light upon any that pleased him, he would kiss his paw to her and wag his tail with the greatest politeness.

“‘John,’ says Father Flannagan, to one of the servants, ’bring me salt and water, till I consecrate them* to banish the divil, for he has appeared to us all during broad daylight in the shape of a dog.’

     * Salt and water consecrated by a particular form is Holy Water.

“‘You had better behave yourself, I say again,’ says the dog, ’or if you make me speak, by my honor as a gintleman I’ll expose you:  I say you won’t marry the same two, neither this nor any other day, and I’ll give you my raisons presently; but I repate it, Father Flannagan, if you compel me to speak, I’ll make you look nine ways at once.’

“‘I defy you, Satan,’ says the priest; ’and if you don’t take yourself away before the holy watcher’s made, I’ll send you off in a flame of fire.’

“‘Oh! yes, I’m trimbling,’ says the dog:  ’plenty of spirits you laid in your day, but it was in a place that’s nearer to us than the Red Sea, you did it:  listen to me though, for I don’t wish to expose you, as I said;’ so he gets on his hind legs, puts his nose to the priest’s ear, and whispers something that none of the rest could hear—­all before the priest had time to know where he was.  At any rate, whatever he said seemed to make his Reverence look double, though, faix, that wasn’t hard to do, for he was as big as two common men.  When the dog was done speaking, and had put his cigar in his mouth, the priest seemed thundherstruck, crossed himself, and was, no doubt of it, in great perplexity.

“‘I say it’s false,’ says Father Flannagan, plucking up his courage; ‘but you know you’re a liar, and the father of liars.’

“‘As thrue as gospel, this bout, I tell you,’ says the dog.

“‘Wait till I make my holy wather,’ says the priest, ’and if I don’t cork you in a thumb-bottle for this,* I’m not here.’

* According to the superstitious belief of the Irish, a priest, when banishing a spirit, puts it into a thumb- bottle, which he either buries deep in the earth, or in some lake.

“Just at this minute, the whole company sees a gintleman galloping for the bare life of him, up to the hall-door, and he dressed like an officer.  In three jiffeys he was down off his horse, and in among the company.  The dog, as soon as he made his appearance, laid his claw as usual on his nose, and gave the bridegroom a wink, as much as to say, ‘watch what’ll happen.’