Sowidthatawaywidher，andinwintBilly，an’where’idhehidehimselfbudinalittleclosetthatwasoffivtheroomwheretheouldmanandwomanslep’。Soheclosedthedoore，andsotdowninanouldchairhefoundthereconvanient。
Well，hewasnotwellinitwhenalltherestivthemcomesintothekitchen，an’ouldTimDonovansingin’the’ColleenRue’
forthebarelife，an’therestivthemsthrivin’tohumourhim，anddoin’
exactlyeverythinghebidthem，becausetheyseenhewasfoolishbethemanesivtheliquor。
Well，tobesureallthiskep’themlongenough，youmaybesure，fromgoin’tobed，sothatBillycouldgetnomannerivanadvantagetogetoutivthehouse，andsohestedsittin’inthedarkclosetinstate，cursin’the’ColleenRue，’andwondherin’
tothedivilwhinthey’dgettheouldmanintohisbed。An’，asifthatwasnotdelayenough，whoshouldcomeintostopforthenightbutFatherO’Flaherty，ofCahirmore，thatwasbuyin’ahorseatthefair!An’avcourse，therewasabedtobemeddownforhisraverence，an’someotherattintions；an’
alongdiscoorsehimselfan’ouldMrs。
DonovanhadabouttheslaughterivBillyMalowney，an’howhewasburiedonthefieldivbattle；an’hisraverencehopedhegotadacentfuneral，an’alltheotherconvaniencesivreligion。An’soyoumaysupposeitwasprettylateinthenightbeforeallivthemgottotheirbeds。
Well，TimDonovancouldnotsettletosleepatallatall，an’sohekep’discoorsin’
thewifeaboutthenewcowshebought，an’thestripphershesould，an’soanforbetterthananhour，ontilfromonethingtoanotherhekemtotalkaboutthepigs，an’
thepoulthry；andatlast，havingnothingbetthertodiscoorseabout，hebegunathisdaughterMolly，an’alltheheartscaldshewastohimberaisonivrefusin’themen。
An’atlastsayshe：
’Ionderstand，’sayshe，’verywellhowitis，’sayshe。’It’showshewasinlove，’
sayshe，’widthatbliggard，BillyMalowney，’
sayshe，’badlucktohim!’sayshe；forbythistimehewascomingtohisraison。
’Ah!’saysthewife，saysshe，’Timdarlint，don’tbecursin’themthat’sdeadan’buried，’saysshe。
’An’whywouldnotI，’sayshe，’iftheydesarveit？’sayshe。
’Whisht，’saysshe，’an’listentothat，’
saysshe。’InthenameoftheBlessedVargin，’saysshe，’whatISit？’saysshe。
An’sureenoughwhatwasitbutBillMalowneythatwasdhroppin’asleepinthecloset，an’snorin’likeachurchorgan。
’Isitapig，’sayshe，’orisitaChristian？’
’Arra!listentothetuneivit，’saysshe；’sureapigneverdonethelikeisthat，’saysshe。
’Whateveritis，’sayshe，’it’sintheroomwidus，’sayshe。’TheLordbemarcifultous!’sayshe。
’Itouldyounottobecursin’，’saysshe；’badlucktoyou，’saysshe，’foranommadhaun!’forshewasaveryreligiouswomaninherself。
’Sure，he’sburiedinSpain，’sayshe；
’an’itisnotforonelittleinnocentexpression，’sayshe，’he’dbecomin’allthatawaytoannoythehouse，’sayshe。
Well，whiletheywartalkin’，Billturnsinthewayhewassleepin’intoanaisierimposture；andassoonashestoppedsnorin’ouldTimDonovan’scouragerizagin，andsayshe：
’I’llgotothekitchen，’sayshe，’an’
lightarish，’sayshe。
An’withthatawaywidhim，an’thewifekep’workin’thebeadsallthetime，an’beforehekembackBillwassnorin’asloudasever。
’Oh!bloodywars——Imanetheblessedsaintsaboutus!——thatdeadlysound，’sayshe；’it’sgoingonaslivelyasever，’
sayshe。
’I’maswakeasarag，’sayshiswife，saysshe，’widthefairanasiness，’saysshe。’It’soutivthelittleclosetit’scomin，’saysshe。
’Sayyourprayers，’sayshe，’an’houldyourtongue，’sayshe，’whileIdiscoorseit，’sayshe。’An’whoareye，’sayshe，’inthenameivofalltheholysaints？’
sayshe，givin’thedooradabivacrusheenthatwakenedBillinside。’Iax，’sayshe，’whoareyou？’sayshe。
Well，Billdidnotrightlyrememberwhereintheworldhewas，buthepushedopenthedoor，an’sayshe：
’BillyMalowney’smyname，’sayshe，’an’I’llthankyetotellmeabetther，’
sayshe。
Well，whinTimDonovanheardthat，an’
actiallyseenthatitwasBillhimselfthatwasinit，hehadnotstrengthenoughtoletabawloutivhim，buthedhroptthecandleoutivhishand，an’downwidhimselfonhisbackinthedark。
Well，thewifeletascreechyou’dhearatthemillivKillraghlin，an’——
’Oh，’saysshe，’thespirithashim，bodyan’bones!’saysshe。’Oh，holySt。
Bridget——oh，MotherivMarcy——oh，FatherO’Flaherty!’saysshe，screechin’murdherfromoutivherbed。
Well，BillMalowneywasnotaminuteremimberin’himself，an’sooutwidhimquitean’aisy，an’throughthekitchen；
budinplaceivthedoorivthehouse，it’swhathekemtothedoorivFatherO’Flaherty’slittleroom，wherehewasjistwakenin’widthenoiseivthescreechin’
an’battherin’；an’bedad，Billmakesnomoreaboutit，buthejumps，widoneboult，cleveran’claneintohisraverance’sbed。
’Whatdoyemane，youuncivilisedbliggard？’sayshisraverance。’Isthatavenerableway，’sayshe，’toapproachyourclargy？’sayshe。
’Houldyourtongue，’saysBill，’an’I’lldoyenoharum，’sayshe。
’Whoareyou，yescoundhrelivtheworld？’sayshisraverance。
’Whisht!’sayshe？’I’mBillyMalowney，’
sayshe。
’Youlie!’sayshisraveranceforhewasfrightenedbeyontallbearin’——an’hemakesbutonejumpoutivthebedatthewrongside，wheretherewasonlyjistalittleplaceinthewallforapress，an’hisraverancecouldnotasmuchasturninitforthewealthivkingdoms。’Youlie，’
sayshe；’butforfearedit’sthetruthyou’retellin’，’sayshe，’here’satyeinthenameivalltheblessedsaintstogether!’
sayshe。
An’widthat，mydear，heblazesawayathimwidaLatinprayerivthestrongestdescription，an’，ashesaidhimselfafterwards，thatwasivanaturethatiddhrivethedivilhimselfupthechimleylikeapuffivtobackysmoke，widhistailbetunehislegs。
’Arra，whatareyesthrivin’tosay，’saysBill；sayshe，’ifyedon’thouldyourtongue，’sayshe，’widyourparlyvoo；’
sayshe，’it’swhatI’llputmythumbonyourwindpipe，’sayshe，’an’BillyMalowneyneverwintbackivhiswordyet，’
sayshe。
’Thundher-an-owns，’sayshisraverance，sayshe——seein’theLatintooknoinfectonhim，atallatallan’screechin’thatyou’dthinkhe’drisethethatchupivthehousewidthefairfright——’andthundherandblazes，boys，willnoneivyescomeherewidacandle，butlaveyourclargytobechokedbyaspiritinthedark？’sayshe。
Well，bethistimethesarvintboysandtherestivthemworupan’halfdressed，an’intheyallrun，oneontopivanother，widpitchforksandspades，thinkin’itwasonlywhathisraverenceslep’adhrameivthelike，bymeansofthepunchhewasafthertakin’justbeforeherowl’dhimselfintothebed。But，begorra，whintheyseenitwasralyBillMalowneyhimselfthatwasinit，itwasonlywho’dbeforemostoutagin，tumblin’backways，oneoveranother，andhisraverenceroarin’an’cursin’themlikemadfornotwaitin’forhim。
Well，mydear，itwasbettherthanhalfanhourbeforeBillyMalowneycouldexplaintothemallhowitralywashimself，forbegorratheywereallivthempersuadin’
himthathewasaspirittothatdegreeit’sawondherhedidnotgiveintoit，ifitwasonlytoputastoptotheargiment。
Well，hisraverencetouldtheouldpeoplethen，therewasnouseinsthrivin’aginthewillivProvidencean’thevagariesivloveunited；an’whintheykemtoundherstandtoasartintyhowBillyhadashillin’adayfortherestivhisdays，begorratheytookratheralikin’tohim，andconsidheredatwansthowhemusthaverizoutofallhisnansinseentirely，orhisgraciousMajestyidneverhavecondescindedtoshowhimhiscountenancethatwayeverydayofhislife，onasilvershillin’。
An’so，begorra，theyneverstopttillitwasallsettled——an’therewasnotsichaweddin’asthatinthecounthrysinst。It’smorethanfortyyearsago，an’thoughI
wasnomorenoragossoonmyself，I
remimberitlikeyestherday。Mollyneverlookedsopurtybefore，an’BillyMalowneywasplisantbeyontallhearin，’tothatdegreethathalfthegirlsinitwasfairlytarin’
mad——onlytheywouldnotleton——theyhadnothimtothemselvesinplaceivher。
An’begorraI’dbeafearedtotellye，becauseyouwouldnotbelieveme，sincethatblessidmanFatherMathewputanendtoallsoortsofsociality，theLordrewardhim，howmanygallonsivpottieenwhiskywasdhrankuponthatmostsolemnandtindheroccasion。
PatHanlon，thepiper，hadafaveroutivit；an’NeddyShawnHeigue，mountin’
hishorsethewrongway，brokehiscollar-
bone，bythemanesivfallin’overhistailwhilehewasfeelin’forhishead；an’
PaytherBrian，thehorse-docther，Iamtould，wasneverquiterightintheheadeverafther；an’ouldTimDonovanwassingin’the’ColleenRue’nightanddayforafullweek；an’begorratheweddin’
wasonlythefoundationivfun，andthebeginningivdivarsion，fortherewasnotayearfortenyearsafther，an’more，butbroughtroundachristenin’asregularasthesasinsrevarted。
End