did you never see your mother riding on a broomstick, and leading the wild dance in the pocket of Coomeengira glen?'

'Whisht, Miss, whisht!' replied Teague, 'it's not lucky to be talking of the fairies in that slightin' way. And as for And as for my mother faix she's fairy and witch enough without a broomstick at all to help her. She seems to know everything, and who should tell her but the fairies?'

'And do you really believe in ghosts and fairies and all that kind of thing, Teague?'

'Of coorse I do,' replied Teague, and so does most others in their hearts, though they are loth enough to confess it in the daytime. Put them to pass the night in a churchyard, and see whether they will like it. And sure, a churchyard would be as safe a place as any to pass the night in, if one was not afraid of ghosts.'

'You enlarge the circle wider and wider,' observed the stranger, and have now introduced churchyard ghosts also into the fairy and spiritual community. Do you consider them in the same category as fairies and spiritual manifestations ? '

'Undoubtedly,' replied Kathleen. ‘Fairies, ghosts, witches, and spiritual manifestations, are

all different exhibitions of the one great factthe existence and nearness of a spiritual world to ourselves. Why should we scoff at these things, or pretend that we don't believe them? I think it is Doctor Johnson who says, when speaking of the appearance of ghosts, "that which we deny with our words, but confess with our fears."'1

'Perhaps I am addressing some distinguished "medium" in the spiritual world,' said the young man, bowing respectfully to Kathleen. 'May I presume to enquire whether you have made up your mind as to the beneficial results, or otherwise, to those who engage deeply in such wondrous speculations?'

I am no "medium" I assure you,' replied Kathleen, 'nor can I say that I have absolutely made up my mind upon the subject. In one respect, however, I have arrived at a very definite conclusion, and that is, that it cannot be all

1 Can anyone read that strange book of Mr. Home's, which has been so widely circulated-the experiences of his spiritual manifestations; or that most interesting account printed by a youthful heir to an earldom and circulated amongst his friends, together with the wonderful preface of his noble father, and deny the existence of the strange spiritual manifestations which are there so vividly described?

"humbug," as so many to this day maintain. My knowledge of the subject is derived mainly from books and publications, but I cannot for a moment doubt that the manifestations which have been made in the presence of so many witnesses of undisputed authority, who have earnestly testified to them, and have sometimes exhibited these manifestations amongst friends and relations who are incapable of deceiving one another, must be true and real. It is plain, in fact, that if these manifestations be not real, those friends must have joined in deceiving one another in this one point, who have never been deceivers on any other.'

They had now arrived at the opposite shore. Ierne had slowly paddled them across the bay in her skiff, and the boat slid gently with grating sound up the loose shingle at the bottom of the lawn. It was a delightful evening, and, as they sauntered slowly through the wood to the house, they silently reflected on the strange subject of such deep interest which had been mooted. Ierne now proposed that tea and fruit should be laid out on the high rock before the door. This was soon done, and in the full enjoyment of lovely scenery, youth, beauty, and refined and thoughtful conversation, they sat there till after midnight.

Teague at length disturbed them. He said: 6 Mr. Donald would be mad if he found them out this time of night,' and insisted on their all retiring to the house. They did so, slowly, and, it must be admitted, somewhat unwillingly.

6

'I little thought,' said Ierne when about to retire, that old Aileen and her fairies would have led to such subjects as we have discussed to-night.'

CHAPTER VI.

FACTION FIGHTING.

MR. DONALD has not yet come home, I fear,' was Ierne's first salutation to Teague, as on coming out of the hall-door in company with the stranger, she saw him standing on the walk outside.

'Not a bit of him, Miss,' replied Teague, and, in troth, I'm getting uneasy, so I am, lest anything should happen him or go wrong. And besides all this, to-morrow is the pattern at the holy lake at Kilmakilloge, and I'd wish him, if possible, to be there, as I hear there is some of the Derryquin boys comin' over to challenge the boys of Derreen. It would be no harm if the masther was here to stop them, or to see fair play between them, if they're bent on fightin'.'

'And what makes you think they will fight at the pattern?' asked Ierne. 'Surely at the holy