five in the morning
There were difficulties in this ; for , in the first place , although Feemy and the Miss McKeons had been very good friends , still the reports which had lately been afloat , both about her and the affairs of her family , might make Mrs. McKeon , a prudent woman , unwilling to comply with the priest 's wishes -- though indeed it was not often that she contradicted him in anything ; then , after he had talked Mrs. McKeon over , when he had aroused her charitable feelings and excited the good nature , which , to tell the truth , was never very dormant in her bosom , he had the more difficult task of persuading Feemy to accept the invitation . Not that under ordinary circumstances she would not be willing enough to go to Mrs. McKeon 's , but at present she would be likely to suspect a double meaning in everything . Father John had already mentioned Mrs. McKeon 's name to her , in reference to her attachment to Ussher ; and it was more than probable that if he now brought her an invitation from that lady , she would perceive that the object was to separate her from her lover , and that she would obstinately persist in remaining at Ballycloran . As Father John was entering Drumsna , he met his curate , Cullen , and McGovery , who , considering that he had only been married the evening before , and that if he had not been dancing himself , he had been kept up by his guests ' doing so till four or five in the morning , had left his bride rather early ; for , according to custom , he had slept the first night after his wedding at his wife 's house , and , though it was only ten o'clock , he had been on a visit to Father Cullen , with whom he was now eagerly talking . On the previous evening , when feigning to be asleep , he had managed to overhear a small portion of what had passed between Thady , Joe Reynolds , and the rest ; but what he had overheard had reference solely to Keegan ; for when they began to speak of Ussher , everything had been said in so low a voice , that he had been unable to comprehend a word . He had contrived , however , to pick up something , in which Ballycloran , rents , Keegan , and a bog-hole were introduced in marvellous close connection , and he was not slow in coming to the determination that he had been wrong when he fancied that Ussher was the object against whom plots were being formed , and that Keegan was the doomed man ; but what was worse still , he was led to imagine that the perpetrators of Mr. Keegan 's future watery grave were instigated by young Macdermot ! He was well aware that Flannelly and Keegan , for they were all one , had the greater portion of the rents out of Ballycloran , and he now plainly saw that the more active of this firm was to be made away with , while collecting , or attempting to collect , the rent .