"
"Wet or dry," said I--
"Stop, man!" he replied, in the same tone; "spake low. But why wouldn't
you take the whiskey? Sure there's as holy people to the fore as you:
didn't they all take it? An' I wish we may never do worse nor dhrink a
harmless glass o' whiskey, to keep the cowld out, any way."
"Well," said I, "I'll jist trust to God and the consequences, for the
cowld, Paddy, ma bouchal; but a blessed dhrop of it won't be crossin' my
lips, avick; so no more ghostlier about it;--dhrink it yourself if you
like. Maybe you want it as much as I do; wherein I've the patthern of
a good big-coat upon me, so thick, your sowl, that if it was rainin'
bullocks, a dhrop wouldn't get undher the nap of it."
He gave me a calm, but keen glance as I spoke.
"Well, Jim," said he, "it's a good comrade you've got for the weather
that's in it; but, in the manetime, to set you a dacent patthern, I'll
just take this myself,"--saying which, with the jar still upon its
side, and the fore-finger of his left hand in his neck, he swallowed
the spirits--"It's the first I dhrank to-night," he added, "nor would
I dhrink it now, only to show you that I've heart an' spirit to do the
thing that we're all bound an' sworn to, when the proper time comes;"
after which he laid down the glass, and turned up the jar, with much
coolness, upon the altar.
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