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God bless you, Mike Reillaghan; an' I'm proud that he put it into your heart to buy one for the rasons you know. An' now that Father Hoolaghan's comin', any of yez that 'ill want them 'ill find me here agin when mass is over Oxis doxis glorioxis, Amin!" The priest at this time made his appearance, and those who had been assembled on the cross-roads joined the crowd at the chapel.
"Give me, too, a light," said M'Kenna's father; "my son must get fair play, anyway: must be a witness myself to it, an' will, too." "It's but rasonable," said Owen Reillaghan; "come over beside Darby an' myself: I'm willin' that your son should stand or fall by what'll happen."
"Mike," said he aside to Reillaghan, "we'll have time enough walk back a bit; I'll tell you what I'm thinkin'; you never seen in your life a finer day for thracin; what 'ud you say if we give the boys the slip, never heed mass, an' set off to the mountains?" "Won't we have time enough afther mass?" said Reillaghan. "Why, man, sure you did hear mass once to-day. Weren't you at it last night?
"I'm not ashamed," said Peggy: "why should I be ashamed of bein' sarry for the likes of Mike Reillaghan? Where was his aquil? Wasn't all hearts upon him? Didn't the very poor on the road bless him whin he passed? Who ever had a bad word agin him, but the villain that murdhered him? Murdhered him! Heaven above! an' why? For my sake! For my sake the pride of the parish is laid low! Ashamed!
"Frank," said he, solemnly, "you swore on that blessed book last night, that Mike Reillaghan never would be the husband of Peggy Gartland he's a corpse to-day! Yes," he continued, "the good, the honest, the industhrious boy is" his sobs became so loud and thick that he appeared almost suffocated. "Oh," said he, "may God pity us!
Reillaghan and M'Kenna both reached the chapel a considerable time before the arrival of the priest; and as a kind of Whiteboy committee was to sit for the purpose of investigating their conduct in holding out so dangerous an example as they did, by striking each other, contrary to their oaths as brothers under the same system, they accordingly were occupied each in collecting his friends, and conciliating those whom they supposed to be hostile to them on the opposite party.
"Queen o' Heaven!" exclaimed old M'Kenna, "who could believe this only they hard it?" "The murdher wouldn't lie?" shrieked out Mrs. Reillaghan "the murdher wouldn't lie! the blood o' my darlin' son spoke it! his blood spoke it; or God, or his angel, spoke it for him!" "It's beyant anything ever known!" some exclaimed, "to come back an' tell the deed upon his murdherer!
Go into the room there to the women, an' make yourself scarce out o' this, or by the padareens about me, I'll malivogue you." "We can't be angry wid the dacent woman," observed old Reillaghan, "in regard that she came to show her friendship and respect." "I'd be angry wid St. Pettier," said Darby, "an' 'ud not scruple to give him a lick o' my c Lord presarve us! what was I goin' o say!
"Musha," inquired his mother, "what could happen atween him an' that civil boy, Mike Reillaghan?" "The sorra one o' me knows," replied his father: "an' now that I think of it, sure enough there was none o' them at the dance last night, although I sent himself down for them.
Out o' joint! nrasha, if ever a man's nose was to be pitied, and yours is: why, didn't Mike Reillaghan put it out o' joint, twist? first in regard to Peggy, and secondly by the batin' he gave you an it." "It's well known, Darby," replied Frank, "that 'twas by a chance blow he did it; and, you know, a chance blow might kill the devil."
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