“I say ditto, your honor.  Long life an’ glory to you every day your honor rises!”

Peter, on his way home, entered into a defence of his apology for offering so high a rent to the landlord; but although it possessed both ingenuity and originality, it was, we must confess, grossly defective in those principles usually inculcated by our best Ethic writers.

“Couldn’t you have tould him what we agreed upon goin’ up,” observed Ellish; “but instead o’ that, to begin an’ tell the gintlemen so many lies about your bein’ dhrunk, an’ this bein’ your birth-day, an’ the day we wor marrid, an’,——­Musha, sich quare stories to come into your head?”

“Why,” said Peter, “what harm’s in all that, whin he didn’t find me out?”

“But why the sarra did you go to say that I was in the custom o’ tellin’ lies?”

“Faix, bekase I thought you wor goin’ to let out all, an’ I thought it best to have the first word o’ you.  What else?—­but sure I brought myself off bravely.”

“Well, well, a hudh; don’t be invintin’ sich things another time, or you’ll bring yourself into a scrape, some way or other.”

“Faix, an’ you needn’t spake, Ellish; you can let out a nate bounce yourself, whin it’s to sarve you.  Come now, don’t run away wid the story!”

“Well, if I do, it’s in the way o’ my business; whin I’m batin’ them down in the price o’ what I’m buyin’, or gettin’ thim to bid up for any thing I’m sellin’:  besides, it’s to advance ourselves in the world that I do it, abouchal.”

“Go an, go an; faix, you’re like the new moon, sharp at both corners:  but what matther, you beauty, we’ve secured the farm, at any rate, an’, by this an’ by that, I’ll show you tip-top farmin’ an it.”

A struggle now commenced between the husband and wife, as to which of them should, in their respective departments, advance themselves with greater rapidity in life.  This friendly contest was kept up principally by the address of Ellish, who, as she knew those points in her husband’s character most easily wrought upon, felt little difficulty in shaping him to her own purposes.  Her great object was to acquire wealth; and it mostly happens, that when this is the ruling principle in life, there is usually to be found, in association with it, all those qualities which are best adapted to secure it.  Peter, on finding that every succeeding day brought something to their gains, began to imbibe a portion of that spirit which wholly absorbed Ellish.  He became worldly; but it was rather the worldliness of habit than of principle.  In the case of Ellish, it proceeded from both; her mind was apt, vigorous, and conceptive; her body active, her manners bland and insinuating, and her penetration almost intuitive.  About the time of their entering upon the second farm, four children had been, the fruit of their marriage—­two sons and two daughters.  These were now new sources of anxiety to their mother, and fresh impulses to her industry.  Her ignorance, and that of her husband, of any kind of education, she had often, in the course of their business, bitter cause to regret.  She now resolved that their children should be well instructed; and no time was lost in sending them to school, the moment she thought them capable of imbibing the simplest elements of instruction.