andsureenoughIneversawhairsmoreregallysilverthanthoseofyourhonour-“byhishonour’sgraysilverhairs，andbymyownsoul，whichisnotworthytobementionedinthesamedaywithoneofthem-itwouldbenomorethandecentandciviltorunoutandwelcomesuchafatherandsoncominginattheheadofsuchaProtestantmilitary。“Andthenmywife，whoisfromLondonderry，MistressHyne，lookingmeinthefacelikeafairyassheis，“Youmaysaythat，“saysshe。“Itwouldbebutdecentandcivil，honey。“AndyourhonourknowshowIranoutofmyowndoorandwelcomedyourhonourridingincompanywithyourson，whowaswalking；howIwelcomedyebothattheheadofyourroyalregiment，andhowIshookyourhonourbythehand，saying，Iamgladtoseeyourhonour，andyourhonour’sson，andyourhonour’sroyalmilitaryProtestantregiment。AndnowIhaveyouinthehouse，andrightproudIamtohaveyeoneandall；one，two，three，four，trueProtestantseveryone，noPapistshere；andIhavemadeboldtobringupabottleofclaretwhichisnowwaitingbehindthedoor；and，whenyourhonourandyourfamilyhavedined，IwillmakeboldtootobringupMistressHyne，fromLondonderry，tointroducetoyourhonour’slady，andthenwe’lldrinktothehealthofKingGeorge，Godblesshim；tothe“gloriousandimmortal“-toBoynewater-toyourhonour’sspeedypromotiontobeLordLieutenant，andtothespeedydownfallofthePopeandSaintAnthonyofPadua。’
SuchwasthespeechoftheIrishProtestantaddressedtomyfatherinthelongloftydining-roomwiththreewindows，lookinguponthehighstreetofthegoodtownofClonmel，ashesatatmeatwithhisfamily，aftersayinggracelikeatrue-heartedrespectablesoldierashewas。
’AbigotandanOrangeman!’Ohyes!Itiseasiertoapplyepithetsofopprobriumtopeoplethantomakeyourselfacquaintedwiththeirhistoryandposition。Hewasaspecimen，andafairspecimen，ofamostremarkablebodyofmen，whoduringtwocenturieshavefoughtagoodfightinIrelandinthecauseofcivilisationandreligioustruth；theyweresentascolonists，fewinnumber，intoabarbarousandunhappycountry，whereeversince，thoughsurroundedwithdifficultiesofeverykind，theyhavemaintainedtheirground；theirshasbeennoeasylife，norhavetheirlinesfallenuponverypleasantplaces；amidstdarknesstheyhaveheldupalamp，anditwouldbewellforIrelandwereallherchildrenliketheseheradoptedones。’Buttheyarefierceandsanguinary，’itissaid。Ay，ay!theyhavenotunfrequentlyopposedthekeenswordtothesavagepike。’Buttheyarebigotedandnarrow-minded。’Ay，ay!theydonotlikeidolatry，andwillnotbowthekneebeforeastone!’Buttheirlanguageisfrequentlyindecorous。’Goto，mydaintyone，didyeeverlistentothevoiceofPapistcursing？
TheIrishProtestantshavefaults，numerousones；butthegreaternumberofthesemaybetracedtothepeculiarcircumstancesoftheirposition：buttheyhavevirtues，numerousones；andtheirvirtuesaretheirown，theirindustry，theirenergy，andtheirundauntedresolutionaretheirown。Theyhavebeenvilifiedandtraduced-butwhatwouldIrelandbewithoutthem？Irepeat，thatitwouldbewellforherwereallhersonsnoworsethanthesemuch-calumniatedchildrenofheradoption。
CHAPTERX
Protestantyounggentlemen-TheGreekletters-Openchimney-
Murtagh-ParisandSalamanca-Nothingtodo-Towhit，towhoo!-
Thepackofcards-BeforeChristmas。
WEcontinuedatthisplaceforsomemonths，duringwhichtimethesoldiersperformedtheirduties，whatevertheywere；andI，havingnodutiestoperform，wassenttoschool。IhadbeentoEnglishschools，andtothecelebratedoneofEdinburgh；butmyeducation，atthepresentday，wouldnotbewhatitis-perfect，hadIneverhadthehonourofbeingALUMNUSinanIrishseminary。
’Captain，’saidourkindhost，’youwould，nodoubt，wishthattheyounggentlemanshouldenjoyeveryadvantagewhichthetownmayaffordtowardshelpinghimoninthepathofgenteellearning。
It’sagreatpitythatheshouldwastehistimeinidleness-doingnothingelsethanwhathesayshehasbeendoingforthelastfortnight-fishingintheriverfortroutswhichhenevercatches；
andwanderingupthegleninthemountain，insearchofthehipsthatgrowthere。Now，wehaveaschoolhere，wherehecanlearnthemostelegantLatin，andgetaninsightintotheGreekletters，whichisdesirable；andwhere，moreover，hewillhaveanopportunityofmakingacquaintancewithalltheProtestantyounggentlemenoftheplace，thehandsomewell-dressedyoungpersonswhomyourhonourseesinthechurchontheSundays，whenyourhonourgoesthereinthemorning，withtherestoftheProtestantmilitary；foritisnoPapistschool，thoughtheremaybeaPapistortwothere-afewpoorfarmers’sonsfromthecountry，withwhomthereisnonecessityforyourhonour’schildtoformanyacquaintanceatall，atall!’
AndtotheschoolIwent，whereIreadtheLatintongueandtheGreekletters，withaniceoldclergyman，whosatbehindablackoakendesk，withahugeElzevirFlaccusbeforehim，inalonggloomykindofhall，withabrokenstonefloor，therooffestoonedwithcobwebs，thewallsconsiderablydilapidated，andcoveredoverwithstrangefiguresandhieroglyphics，evidentlyproducedbytheapplicationofburntstick；andthereImadeacquaintancewiththeProtestantyounggentlemenoftheplace，who，withwhateverECLAT
theymightappearatchurchonaSunday，didassuredlynotexhibittomuchadvantageintheschoolroomontheweekdays，eitherwithrespecttoclothesorlooks。AndthereIwasinthehabitofsittingonalargestone，beforetheroaringfireinthehugeopenchimney，andentertainingcertainoftheProtestantyounggentlemenofmyownage，seatedonsimilarstones，withextraordinaryaccountsofmyownadventures，andthoseofthecorps，withanoccasionalanecdoteextractedfromthestory-booksofHickathriftandWightWallace，pretendingtobeconningthelessonallthewhile。
AndthereImadeacquaintance，notwithstandingthehintofthelandlord，withthePapist’gossoons，’astheywerecalled，thefarmers’sonsfromthecountry；andofthesegossoons，ofwhomtherewerethree，twomightbereckonedasnothingatall；inthethird，however，Isoondiscoveredthattherewassomethingextraordinary。
Hewasaboutsixteenyearsold，andabovesixfeethigh，dressedinagraysuit；thecoat，fromitssize，appearedtohavebeenmadeforhimsometenyearsbefore。Hewasremarkablynarrow-chestedandround-shouldered，owing，perhapsasmuchtothetightnessofhisgarmentastothehandofnature。Hisfacewaslong，andhiscomplexionswarthy，relieved，however，bycertainfreckles，withwhichtheskinwasplentifullystudded。Hehadstrangewanderingeyes，gray，andsomewhatunequalinsize；theyseldomrestedonthebook，butweregenerallywanderingabouttheroom，fromoneobjecttoanother。Sometimeshewouldfixthemintentlyonthewall，andthensuddenlystarting，asiffromareverie，hewouldcommencemakingcertainmysteriousmovementswithhisthumbsandforefingers，asifhewereshufflingsomethingfromhim。
Onemorning，ashesatbyhimselfonabench，engagedinthismanner，Iwentuptohim，andsaid，’Good-day，Murtagh；youdonotseemtohavemuchtodo？’
’Faith，youmaysaythat，Shorshadear!-itisseldommuchtodothatIhave。’
’Andwhatareyoudoingwithyourhands？’
’Faith，then，ifImusttellyou，Iwase’endealingwiththecards。’
’Doyouplaymuchatcards？’
’Sorraagame，Shorsha，haveIplayedwiththecardssincemyunclePhelim，thethief，stoleawaytheouldpack，whenhewenttosettleinthecountyWaterford!’
’Butyouhaveotherthingstodo？’
’SorraanythingelsehasMurtaghtodothathecaresaboutandthatmakesmedreadsogoinghomeatnights。’
’Ishouldliketoknowallaboutyou；wheredoyoulive，joy？’
’Faith，then，yeshallknowallaboutme，andwhereIlive。ItisataplacecalledtheWildernessthatIlive，andtheycallitso，becauseitisafearfulwildplace，withoutanyhousenearitbutmyfather’sown；andthat’swhereIlivewhenathome。’
’Andyourfatherisafarmer，Isuppose？’
’Youmaysaythat；anditisafarmerIshouldhavebeen，likemybrotherDenis，hadnotmyunclePhelim，thethief，touldmyfathertosendmetoschool，tolearnGreekletters，thatImightbemadeasaggartof，andsenttoParisandSalamanca。’
’Andyouwouldratherbeafarmerthanapriest？’
’Youmaysaythat!-for，wereIafarmer，liketherest，Ishouldhavesomethingtodo，liketherest-somethingthatIcaredfor-
andIshouldcomehometiredatnight，andfallasleep，astherestdo，beforethefire；butwhenIcomeshomeatnightIamnottired，forIhavebeendoingnothingalldaythatIcarefor；andthenI
sitsdownandstaresaboutme，andatthefire，tillIbecomefrighted；andthenIshoutstomybrotherDenis，ortothegossoons，“Getup，Isay，andlet’sbedoingsomething；tellusthetaleofFinn-ma-Coul，andhowhelaydownintheShannon’sbed，andlettheriverflowdownhisjaws!“Arrah，Shorsha!Iwishyouwouldcomeandstaywithus，andtellussomeo’yoursweetstoriesofyourownselfandthesnakeyecarriedaboutwidye。Faith，Shorshadear!thatsnakebatesanythingaboutFinn-ma-CoulorBrianBoroo，thethievestwo，badlucktothem!’
’Anddotheygetupandtellyoustories？’
’Sometimestheydoes，butoftenmosttheycursesme，andbidsmebequiet!ButIcan’tbequiet，eitherbeforethefireorabed；soI
runsoutofthehouse，andstaresattherocks，atthetrees，andsometimesattheclouds，astheyrunaraceacrossthebrightmoon；
and，themoreIstares，themorefrightedIgrows，tillIscreechesandholloas。AndlastnightIwentintothebarn，andhidmyfaceinthestraw；andthere，asIlayandshiveredinthestraw，I
heardavoiceabovemyheadsingingout“Towhit，towhoo!“andthenupIstarts，andrunsintothehouse，andfallsovermybrotherDenis，asheliesatthefire。“What’sthatfor？“sayshe。
“Getup，youthief!“saysI，“andbehelpingme。Ihavebeenoutintothebarn，andanowlhascrow’datme!“’
’Andwhathasthistodowithplayingcards？’
’Littleenough，Shorshadear!-Iftherewerecard-playing，I
shouldnotbefrighted。’
’Andwhydoyounotplayatcards？’
’DidInottellyouthatthethief，myunclePhelim，stoleawaythepack？Ifwehadthepack，mybrotherDenisandthegossoonswouldbereadyenoughtogetupfromtheirsleepbeforethefire，andplaycardswithmeforha’pence，oreggs，ornothingatall；butthepackisgone-badlucktothethiefwhotookit!’