* Antitrinitarians; the peasantry are often extremely fond
     of hard and long words, which they call tall English.

“’Why then, plase your Riverence, by the—­hem—­I say Father Corrigan, it wasn’t my fault, but that villain Flanagan’s, for he knows I fairly won the bottle—­and would have distanced him, only that when I was far before him, the vagabone, he galloped across me on the way, thinking to thrip up the horse.’

“‘You lying scoundrel,’ says the priest, ’how dare you tell me a falsity,’ says he, ’to my face? how could he gallop acrass you if you were far before him?  Not a word more, or I’ll leave you without a mouth to your face, which will be a double share of provision and bacon saved any way.  And, Flanagan, you were as much to blame as he, and must be chastised for your raggamuffianly conduct,’ says he, ’and so must you both, and all your party, particularly you and be, as the ringleaders.  Right well I know it’s the grudge upon the lawsuit you had and not the bottle, that occasioned it:  but by St. Peter, to Loughderg both of you must tramp for this.’

“’Ay, and by St. Pether, they both desarve it as well as a thief does the gallows,’ said a little blustering voice belonging to the tailor, who came forward in a terrible passion, looking for all the world like a drowned rat.  ’Ho, by St. Pether, they do, the vagabones; for it was myself that won the bottle, your Reverence; and by this and by that,’ says he, ’the bottle I’ll have, or some of their crowns, will crack for it:  blood or whiskey I’ll have, your Reverence, and I hope that you’ll assist me.

“‘Why, Billy, are you here?’ says Father Corrigan, smiling down upon the figure the little fellow cut, with his long spurs and his big whip; ‘what in the world tempted you to get on horseback, Billy?’

“‘By the powers, I was miles before them,’ says Billy; ’and after this day, your Reverence, let no man say that I couldn’t ride a steeplechase across Crocknagooran.’

“‘Why, Billy, how did you stick on at all, at all?’ says his Reverence.

“‘How do I know how I stuck on?’ says Billy, ’nor whether I stuck on at all or not; all I know is, that I was on horseback leaving the Dumb-hill, and that I found them pulling me by the heels out of the well in the corner of the garden—­and that, your Reverence, when the first was only topping the hill there below, as Lanty Magowran tells me who was looking on.’

“‘Well, Billy,’ says Father Corrigan, ’you must get the bottle; and as for you Dorans and Flanagans, I’ll make examples of you for this day’s work—­that you may reckon on.  You are a disgrace to the parish, and, what’s more, a disgrace to your priest.  How can luck or grace attind the marriage of any young couple that there’s such work at?  Before you leave this, you must all shake hands, and promise never to quarrel with each other while grass grows or water runs; and if you don’t, by the blessed St. Domnick, I’ll exkimnicate* ye both, and all belonging to you into the bargain; so that ye’ll be the pitiful examples and shows to all that look upon you.’