which was strangely blended idiocy and cunning. Dancing appeared to give him great pleasure; he soon tired Andy down, and, when left alone on the floor, he redoubled his exertions, aiding Cormac's music-of which it stood greatly in need-by chaunting

Up upon sugaan,t an down upon gad,

For dancin a hornpipe, Owny's the lad.' When Cormac's arm ceased, the Gomulagh desisted; and, after taking his seat upon a form near Andy, pulled his doodeens out of his pocket, and commenced smoking like the others. Then, suddenly recollecting himself, he started up, observing, Master Atkins wants me down at the toll gap.' 'Ye, then, that's true,' said Andy. Nay be, Owny agragh, you'd give 'im this bit of a letther.'

'No, no,' said Paddy Toole, snatching the packet, 'tell 'im you'll take a letther to 'im to-night--some time afore mornin.'

'Oh, that'll do,' said the Gomulagh, he knows me of old, an always opens the door for me, go what time I like.'

'An that's more than he does for other people,' ejaculated Paddy; 'but we have 'im at last.'

Charles Atkins was a young gentleman of some property, who lived in the immediate neighbourhood of Mr. M'Corcoran. Their families had been long intimate; their intercourse was uninterrupted; and their respective stations and prospects in life pretty equal. There was one difference, and, in a country like Ireland, that was not an inconsiderable one-they were of opposite creeds-one went to chapel, the other to church. In the ordinary affairs of life religious sentiments were scarcely felt; but still they belonged to two sects, which, whatever individuals might feel or think, viewed each other with a dislike which

Sugaan is a straw or hay rope, and gad is a rope made of osiers. Irish dancing masters formerly taught their pupils by placing a sugaan upon one leg and a gad upon the other, as a means of distinguishing them: hence

Up upon sugaan, and down upon gad.' 2 Short pipe.

neither could conceal. Conscious of this, there was, notwithstanding the sincerity of their friendship, a certain reserve between the M'Corcorans and Atkins's, which communicated itself to the younger branches of their families. These viewed each other as belonging to different castes; but the very circumstance which ought to have repelled, tended to bring them more closely together. Each was eager to manifest, by their conduct, a freedom from that bigotry with which the members of either creed was charged; and though the Misses Atkins were never tired of doing Mary M'Corcoran a kindness, their brother Charles, out of polite gallantry, was necessarily more lavish of his attentions. At first this was mere boyishness: it ripened into friendship, and terminated in love. Innocent, thoughtless, and confiding, they hardly knew the cause of the feelings which animated them; and, without any desire of concealment, they had pledged themselves to each other, before they thought it necessary to acquaint their friends with the nature of their sentiments. The task of revealing the state of their feelings was regarded by both as somewhat painful, and, therefore, was deferred from time to time, till neither had courage to execute it. This, however, gave them but little uneasiness; they had frequent opportunities of being together; and, when an interview was impossible, the Gomulagh served as a Mercury to convey those fond billets which waft a sigh from Indus to the Pole.

Owny, like all his brethren in Ireland, whose minds are compounded of silliness and cunning, was called a Gomulagh, and, with some prudence, was not slow to avail himself of the advantages to which this sobriquet entitled him. He was exonerated, as if by general consent, from the necessity of labour, and, without any care of his own, was provided with all the necessaries of life. At Mr. M'Corcoran's he found a constant home, and, in return, nothing was demanded of him but the carrying of letters and messages. This suited the indolence of his disposition; and, as he was not

altogether devoid of good nature, he occasionally manifested some gratitude, particularly towards Mary, whose uniform gentleness and kindness were calculated to make an impression upon more stony hearts than that of the Gomulagh.

Paddy Toole had long observed that Owny was an agent in Mary's love affairs, and was desirous of making him the instrument of putting in execution a project, which he had, for some time, entertained. The incident at the fair afforded him a favourable opportunity, and the Gomulagh had no sooner taken his departure, than he hastened to communicate his plan to his confidants.

Charles Atkins, being the second in command of a corps of yeomanry, his house was made the depository of some military stores, and, as the carrying off firearms was then a constant practice with the United Irishmen, it became necessary to guard these with more than usual diligence. Indeed, as the times grew more alarming, a large portion of them was conveyed to the castle of Enniscorthy, and a report having been spread that the remainder were to follow in a short time, it stimulated the rebellious avarice of Paddy Toole, who had long calculated on possessing himself, at a convenient time, of the whole. Having communicated his plan to such of the initiated as were to be found in the fair, they determined to make the attempt of possessing themselves of whatever arms were to be found at Orrel Grove that night. They knew that Mr. Atkins's door, since the introduction of martial law, was never opened to strangers after sunset, but they also knew that the Gomulagh, with Miss M'Corcoran's billet in his band, possessed a talisman, which, if properly managed, would secure their instant admission.

Owny was found, about eight o'clock, at the sign of the Plough, dancing to Cormac-dall's music, and was easily persuaded to adjourn to a neighbouring field. The Gomulagh evinced no apprehension, and, on a very unsatisfactory explanation, consented to take the oath usually propounded to United Irishmen.

'You will now,' said Paddy Toole, like a true brother, take this letter to Mr. Atkins, an when the door is opened we'll just step in afther you, an you take no notice.'

Owny, at this proposal, screwed up his mouth into an expression of some alarm, but offered no opposition. The party, consisting of thirty peasants, including Andy and the two Tooles, set out for Orrel Grove, and, on their way, contrived to paint their faces black, and assume some other methods of disguising themselves. It was past midnight by the time they arrived before Mr. Atkins's residence, and the Gomulagh, having again been tutored, he walked up boldly, not to the door, but to the window of Charles's bedroom. Before Paddy could prevent him, he had given a shrill whistle, and a significant knock at the casement. These brought Mr. Atkins to the window, which he instantly raised. On seeing the shrinking crowd behind Owny, he stooped down for his blunderbuss, and enquired, with evident alarm, who were those present? 'Och! Mummers,' answered the Gomulagh,' wid black faces.'

'Curse on you for a fool!' groaned Paddy Toole, as he prepared to retreat; but before they could quit the bawn, Charles had fired upon them. One man fell, apparently dead; others stumbled, but quickly recovered themselves; and the Gomulagh, astonished at what he witnessed, sprung over the garden gate, and sought concealment among the shrubs and trees.

Next morning the country was in an extreme state of alarm. The military were called out, and the magistrates assembled in close divan. The dead man proved to be Larry Toole. His brother Paddy absconded; and a few grains of the slugs having penetrated Andy's back, he was taken into custody. While on his way to prison, the Gomulagh attended him, anxiously repeating the admonition, Don't blab,t Andy! Don't blab!'

+ Do not reveal the secret. The English fancy would call it peaching.

In about a week after this, before the shade of evening had assumed the dense sombre cast of night, a man, with his body wrapped up in a great coat, and his hat pulled over his face, stole cautiously into a brake of furze, and lay concealed within its thick umbrage. He had not been long here, when two figures, a male and female, were seen to approach. They were engaged in serious conversation; and as they passed opposite the spot where the stranger was seen to enter the bushes, the report of a pistol was beard. 'Charles!' exclaimed the lady, anxious only for her lover, and was answered, Mary!' in the same tone of apprehension. The assassin had inissed his aim; and after a few moments' deliberation, Mr. Atkins hurried his fair charge from the spot. Their path lay round the knock, as the brake was called; and at the southern corner a small rivulet ran in a deep ditch. While in the act of passing this, the assassin renewed his attack; he sprung unperceived from the bank upon Charles, and instantly brought him upon his face in the water. 'A brother's blood,' he cried, demands this of me,' and he raised the pistol for the purpose of beating out the brains of his victim. Charles made a sudden effort to release himself from the assassin's grasp; and as he was rather a powerful young man, he partially succeeded. He got his adversary down; but in the next struggle the stranger was again uppermost. A few blows of the pistol deprived Mr. Atkins of all sensation, and he was in a fair way of being incapacitated from all possible resistance, when a wild cry was heard, and at the instant the Gomulagh, with the agility of a monkey, sprung upon the assassin. With a single effort he flung the stranger to a distance; but, undismayed by this interference, he returned to the contest. Fool!' he cried, seizing Owny by the collar, away; you ought to know me.'

'An so I do,' was the reply; "'ent you Paddy Toole, who never spoke well of poor Owny?'

Better nor you deserved, you sleeveen,' was the

+ A mean deceitful person..