"More

off his hat; "you desarve to be an O'Shaughnessy !" power to you, Paddy!" says Lord Edward, as they put spurs to their horses; and away they powdhered down the road, laughin' like mad.'

The young traveller enjoyed Rory's anecdote excessively, and scarcely knew which to admire most-the impudent waggery of Rory's friend, or the good humour of the Duke of Leinster and Lord Edward Fitzgerald.

After much praise of the latter, and some other strange odds and ends from Rory, the travellers separated for the night.

CHAPTER IV.

JOURNEY CONTINUED.-DESULTORY COACH CONVERSATION, IN WHICH THE LIBERTY OF THE PRESS IS DISCUSSED, AND THE THISTLE DECLARED TO BE NOT INDIGENOUS TO IRELAND.-ARGUMENTS AND COACHES LIABLE TO BREAK DOWN.-HINTS FOR KEEPING HOUNDS, ETC., ETC.

On the following morning the coach resumed its journey, and Rory and the stranger still continued fellow-travellers.

The insolent aggressor upon Rory, as well as the passenger who sat beside him, did not appear; but their places were occupied by a person to whom Rory touched his hat as he took his seat, and another who seemed to be his companion. The latter was

decidedly a Scotchman; what the other might be, it was not so easy to decide-perhaps north of England.

He addressed Rory, and expressed surprise at seeing him. 'Troth, and it's just as little I expected to see you, Mr. Scrubbs,' said Rory.

'I was up here on a little business,' said Scrubbs.

'That's what you're always up to, Mr. Scrubhs,' answered Rory.

'And you're just as ready for fun, Rory. I suppose it was that brought you here?'

'No, indeed, sir-it was the coach brought me here yestherday.'

'Ay, ay, there you are at your answers! I suppose it was in Dublin, then you would be?'

'No, indeed, I wouldn't be if I could help it.'

'Well, but you were there?'

'Yes, I was.'

'And what business had you in Dublin?'

'About the lease of the place below.'

'Didn't I tell you I'd see about that when the agent came down ?

'Why, you wor seein' about it so long that I thought it might be out o' sight at last, and so I wint myself to the head agent, and settled it at wanst.'

Scrubbs did not seem well pleased at this information; and silence having ensued in consequence, Pory took from his pocket a newspaper and began to read. For some time Scrubbs cast suspicious glances at the paper, till at last, when Rory turned over its front page and discovered the title of 'The Press,' Scrubbs could no longer remain silent.

'I wonder you're not ashamed,' said Scrubbs.

Of what?' said Rory.

To read that paper.'

"Faith, I'd be more ashamed if I couldn't read it!' said Rory.

'Why, it's all sedition, and treason, and blasphemy.'

'What's blasphemy?' said Rory.

''Tis a word,' said the young traveller, 'that some people always join to treason and sedition.'

Scrubbs gave a look askance at the last speaker; but seeing he was a gentleman, and rather better dressed than himself, he made no observation to him, but said in continuance to Rory:

'I always thought you were of the peaceable and well-disposed class, O'More, and I'm sorry to see you read that desperate paper.'

"Faith it's very desperate, sure enough, if it be thrue what they say here, that bank-notes will be soon worth nothin', and won't bring a penny a pound in a snuff-shop.'

'What's that but treason, I'd like to know, said Scrubbs; 'endeavouring to undermine the government.

'Sairtainly,' said the Scotchman, 'it is varra bad to destroy the cawnfidence in pooblic creydit.'

'I dare say, sir,' said Rory to the Scotchman, 'you would rather have bank-notes, than golden guineas?'

'I did na say that,' said the Scotchman drily; but bank-notes are a sufficient security.'

'And they say here,' said Rory, 'that we oughtn't to dhrink tay nor coffee, nor take snuff, nor smoke tabacky, nor dhrink whisky.'

'And what do you think of that?' said Scrubbs.

"Faith, I think thim that has no money will follow their advice,' said Rory.

'Ay! but look at the villainous intention-to injure the revenue, or produce a rebellion.'

'You think then,' said the traveller, 'that people must either smell snuff or gunpowder, whether they will or no?

'I know, sir, they'll have gunpowder enough if it goes to that. We have plenty of loyal men to put down sedition, both militia ind yeomanry.'

'Which you can't trust,' said the traveller.

'Do you doubt their loyalty, sir?' said Scrubbs, waxing rather angry.

'It would seem the government does,' said the traveller, 'for whole regiments of yeomanry have been disbanded this year.'

This was a bitter truth to Scrubbs, who, not being able to deny the fact, returned to the charge upon 'The Press.'

'As for that vile paper, they would do right to serve it as "The Northern Star " was served the other day, when the Donegal Militia, God bless them! broke open their office, burnt their papers, and broke their printing-presses.'

'What noble and constitutional work for soldiers to be employed upon !' said the traveller. 'I do not wonder, when the cloth is so degraded, that high-minded gentlemen, such as the Duke of Leinster, Lord O'Neil, and Colonel Conolly, resign their regiments.'

This was another bitter fact to which Scrubbs was unable to reply; so, leaving the field in possession of the enemy, he addressed his Scotch friend on some fresh subject, and thus evaded the discussion.

The traveller with Rory, and Scrubbs with the Scotchman, now kept themselves distinct, and the day was passing away slowly enough, the monotony of the road only broken by some occasional

remark between Scrubbs and his friend, or the young traveller and Rory: seeming to observe each other with mutual distrust, a restraint was put upon general conversation, and it was only some passing observation on the surrounding scenery that either party would venture to indulge in.

The day was more than half spent, when they were driving through a fine tract of country. which called forth the Scotchman's admiration.

'A fine kintra, this, Mr. Scrubbs,' said he.

'Yes,' said Scrubbs, ''tis a good sort of country, but not fit to compare with England.'

Rory looked indignan tly at him, but said nothing.

'I dinna ken aboot England,' said the Scotchman; 'but this kintra puts me varra much in mind o' my ain.'

'Your kinthry, do you say?' said Rory, with what heroines call 'ineffable contempt.'

'Yes, my kintra.'

'Oh, do you hear this!!' said Rory to the young traveller. 'He's comparin' this counthry to his! Why, 'tare an ouns! sir,' said Rory to the Scotchman; 'sure you wouldn't be com parin' this lovely fine counthry to Scotland-or sayin' it was like it?'

'Yes, but I would though,' said the Scotchman pertinaciously. 'Why, by the seven blessed candles, you haven't seen a thistle for the last tin miles,' said Rory.

The young traveller laughed at Rory's illustration, and the silence and disunion of the two parties increased.

Thus the day wore on uncomfortably enough, and the evening began to close, when a premature stop was put to their journey by the breaking down of the coach,

Fortunately for the passengers, the accident was not one that placed them in any danger. Some of them were nearly thrown off, and a lady-passenger who was inside screamed, of course; and the more she was assured that there was no danger, the louder she screamed. In the meanwhile, the passengers jumped of: and the extreme amount of damage to them was, that they could proceed no further by the coach on their journey, as one of the wheels was broken.

Now, whenever an accident of this kind occurs which is manifestly so bad as to be beyond retrieving, it may be remarked that

every one looks at it in all possible ways-under it, and over it, and round it. just as if looking at it could do any good. So were the passengers congregated round the wheel of the coach, all making their remarks.

'It was the nave,' said one.

'No, the spokes,' said another.

'Oh dear, no-the tire,' added a third.

"Most provoking!'

'Scandalous!' said Scrubbs; 'like everything else in this country! The proprietors ought to be prosecuted for having a coach in such a condition.'

'Murther, murther!' said the coachman, who lost his temper at last when the honour of his coach was concerned: 'do you hear this! just as if an accident never happened to a coach before.'

'When people pay their money,' said Scrubbs, "they have a right to complain.'

Sairtinly,' said the Scotchman. In fac, I thenk the money should be refunded.'

'Arrah! listen to him !' said Rury aside to the stranger.

'How far is the coach from the end of its journey?' said the lady.

"Pon my word, ma'am,' said Rory, 'the coach is at the end of its journey for this day, anyhow.'

'And what are we to do?' said the lady.

'I'd adveyse,' said the Scotchman, 'that we should get postchaises, and chorge them to the coach propreytors.'

"Faith, that's a fine plan, if you could get them,' said Rory.

'Then what are we to do?' said the lady, again.

'If you'd be quiet the laste taste, ma'am, if you plaze,' said the coachman, 'we'll conthrive some conthrivance by and by.' 'Why, the night is falling,' said the lady.

'It's time for it,' said Rory.

'My God !' said the lady, 'what odd answers these people give

one !'

The horses now became restless, for the wheelers, pulling, and finding so much resistance, began to kick, and their example set the leaders going. The coachman and Rory ran to their heads.

'Bad luck to you, you fools!' said Rory to the horses; 'sure it's glad, and not sorry you ought to be, that the dhrag is off o