ill peals of hysterical laughter; while the women took the kettle to the room above, and employed themselves there in sundry mysterious ordinances on which no male busybody might intrude. T

nd cheese into small pieces into the peck, and, when this was done, to scatter it broadcast on the staircase and landing, and on the garden-path immediately in front of the house; while he himself carried a simil

re without being asked, and ate of the oatcake and the cheese. And upstairs, where a meek white face looked out with an unfamiliar smile from behind sheets that were hardly more white, the robustious statespeople from twenty miles around sat down in their odorous atmosphere of rude health and high spirits, and noise

of times, "shameful leaving is wors

till the bedroom reeked with the fumes of a pot-house, and the

the good spirits of the air. And when people jested upon this, and said that not since the old days of their grandfathers had the boaganes and the fairies been so civilly tre

und was invited. Thorkell was now a man of consequence, and the neig

ast in a very hillock of white swaddlings. Thorkell walked behind, his little eyes twinkling under his bushy eyebrows; and o

circle a mixed throng of many sorts. After the gospel and the prayers, the Archdeacon, in his white surplice, took the infant into his hands and called on the godparents to name the child, and they answered Ewan. Then, as the drops fell over the wee blinking eyes, and all voices were hushed in silence an

er the other innocent face at his breast, Thorkell's features

ind Kerry or mumbled the last of the prayers, there came the hum of many voices from the distance. The noise cam

broke up abruptly, and made for the porch with looks of inquiry and amazement. There, at the head of a mixed throng of the riff-raff of the parish, bareheaded men, women with bold faces, and childr

uggling," he shouted, and he tugged the gir

ed with wrath; and where her white sun-bonnet had fallen back from her head on to her shoulders, the k

o held her and forced her along was t

through the company that had come for the christening. When the Archdeacon stepped down from the side

ur reverence," said the sumner, drop

her?" the Arc

" said the sumne

d long, her chin was broad and heavy. The woman elbowed her way forward; but when she was brought face to face with the Archdeacon, and he asked her if she charged her daughter,

h softened, her quick eyes reddened and filled, and her hands went up to her face. "But nature goes down

not one streak of color came to h

id no, and no; but leave it to a moth

some whispering. The girl's keen ear caught it, and she

hdeacon, recalling her with a

at first, and he re

man?" he said, in

e go," said the girl,

partner of

, will you?" and the girl strugg

el, and entered it. The company followed him and drew up outside the communion rail. He t

ers with your good name may beware." With that the Archdeacon held the Testament toward the girl. She made no show of taking it. He thrust it int

more, and dropped on her knees and covered her face, and cried, in

g the infant in her arms; it made a fretful whimper. Thorkell stood behind, pawing the paved path wit

of her paramour." At that, Thorkell's wife dropped to her knees beside the kneeling girl, and putting

her face, and turned her eyes full on the eyes of the young mothe

ld suffer for him as well," said the wife of Thorkell Mylrea, and a

said Mally, with

ch other's heart. The face of Thorkell's wife became very pale; she

the noisy concourse that had come with them went away with them, and in a moment mo

the young Christian, Ewan Mylrea, of Ballamona, was the first to enter it; fo

place, and laughed noisily and drank much. Toward sunset the sumner came to say that the girl who had been taken to prison at the Peel had confessed, and was now at large. The Ar

ll Mylrea. Presently the door opened again, and the Archdeacon, with a long, grave face, stood on the threshold and beckoned to Thorkell at the head of his table. Thorkell wen

der the silent stars. When the door was opened by Hommy-beg the woman asked for Mylrea Ballamona. Hommy-beg repulsed her, and would have shut the door in her face. She called again, and again, an

the light of the lamp that burned in the hall on her w

r Mylrea," she said, "and you, too, your re

aid Thorkell; and he tried to laugh, bu

God judge between us, Master Mylrea. D'ye know

on

ne to hide her shamef

ell, and a short gurgle r

it? Luck! Take c

d woman," he said, and waved his hand in protestatio

What! the woman to stand penance six Sabbaths by the church-door of six parishes, and the man

pulled out a few coins. "Here, take them back; I'm

his pockets, and was making a gre

aven," she said, in a hoarse whisper, "let Thy wrath rest on this man's head; make this house that he has built for himself and for his children a curse to

eptibly under him. Then he took her by the arms and clutched her convulsively. "Woman, woman, what a

hdeacon stood speechless. Then the sound of laughter and of song came

y with you!" he shouted, hysterically, a

lers broke up and went off, leaving the master of Ballamona alone in th