When Larry entered the house, which had an air of
comfort and snugness beyond the common, a tall, thin,
pike of a man, about sixty years of age, stood before
him. He wore a brown greatcoat that fell far short
of his knees ; his small-clothes were closely fitted to
thighs not thicker than hand telescopes ; on his legs
were drawn grey woollen stockings, rolled up about



PHELIM o'TOOLE'S COURTSHIP. 55

six inches over his small-clothes ; his head was covered
by a bay bobwig, on which was a little round hat, with the
edge of the leaf turned up in every direction. His face
was short and sallow, his chin peaked, his nose small and
turned up. If we add to this a pair of skeleton-like
hands and arms projecting about eight inches beyond
the sleeves of his coat, two fiery-ferret eyes, and a long,
small hollow wand higher than himself, we have the
outline of this singular figure.
" God save you, nabour," said Larry.
" Save you, save you, nabour," he replied, without
pronouncing the name of the Deity.
" This is a thryin' time," said Larry, " to them that
has childher."

The fairy man fastened his red glittering eyes upon
him with a sinister glance that occasioned Larry to
feel rather uncomfortable.
