eyes；　gray；　and　somewhat　unequal　in　size；　they　seldom　rested　on　the
  book；　but　were　generally　wandering　about　the　room；　from　one　object
  to　another。　　Sometimes　he　would　fix　them　intently　on　the　wall；　and
  then　suddenly　starting；　as　if　from　a　reverie；　he　would　commence
  making　certain　mysterious　movements　with　his　thumbs　and
  forefingers；　as　if　he　were　shuffling　something　from　him。
  One　morning；　as　he　sat　by　himself　on　a　bench；　engaged　in　this
  manner；　I　went　up　to　him；　and　said；　'Good…day；　Murtagh；　you　do　not
  seem　to　have　much　to　do？'
  'Faith；　you　may　say　that；　Shorsha　dear！　…　it　is　seldom　much　to　do
  that　I　have。'
  'And　what　are　you　doing　with　your　hands？'
  'Faith；　then；　if　I　must　tell　you；　I　was　e'en　dealing　with　the
  cards。'
  'Do　you　play　much　at　cards？'
  'Sorra　a　game；　Shorsha；　have　I　played　with　the　cards　since　my　uncle
  Phelim；　the　thief；　stole　away　the　ould　pack；　when　he　went　to　settle
  in　the　county　Waterford！'
  'But　you　have　other　things　to　do？'
  'Sorra　anything　else　has　Murtagh　to　do　that　he　cares　about　and　that
  makes　me　dread　so　going　home　at　nights。'
  'I　should　like　to　know　all　about　you；　where　do　you　live；　joy？'
  'Faith；　then；　ye　shall　know　all　about　me；　and　where　I　live。　　It　is
  at　a　place　called　the　Wilderness　that　I　live；　and　they　call　it　so；
  because　it　is　a　fearful　wild　place；　without　any　house　near　it　but
  my　father's　own；　and　that's　where　I　live　when　at　home。'
  'And　your　father　is　a　farmer；　I　suppose？'
  'You　may　say　that；　and　it　is　a　farmer　I　should　have　been；　like　my
  brother　Denis；　had　not　my　uncle　Phelim；　the　thief；　tould　my　father
  to　send　me　to　school；　to　learn　Greek　letters；　that　I　might　be　made
  a　saggart　of；　and　sent　to　Paris　and　Salamanca。'
  'And　you　would　rather　be　a　farmer　than　a　priest？'
  'You　may　say　that！　…　for；　were　I　a　farmer；　like　the　rest；　I　should
  have　something　to　do；　like　the　rest　…　something　that　I　cared　for　…
  and　I　should　come　home　tired　at　night；　and　fall　asleep；　as　the　rest
  do；　before　the　fire；　but　when　I　comes　home　at　night　I　am　not　tired；
  for　I　have　been　doing　nothing　all　day　that　I　care　for；　and　then　I
  sits　down　and　stares　about　me；　and　at　the　fire；　till　I　become
  frighted；　and　then　I　shouts　to　my　brother　Denis；　or　to　the
  gossoons；　〃Get　up；　I　say；　and　let's　be　doing　something；　tell　us　the
  tale　of　Finn…ma…Coul；　and　how　he　lay　down　in　the　Shannon's　bed；　and
  let　the　river　flow　down　his　jaws！〃　　Arrah；　Shorsha！　　I　wish　you
  would　come　and　stay　with　us；　and　tell　us　some　o'　your　sweet　stories
  of　your　own　self　and　the　snake　ye　carried　about　wid　ye。　　Faith；
  Shorsha　dear！　that　snake　bates　anything　about　Finn…ma…Coul　or　Brian
  Boroo；　the　thieves　two；　bad　luck　to　them！'
  'And　do　they　get　up　and　tell　you　stories？'
  'Sometimes　they　does；　but　oftenmost　they　curses　me；　and　bids　me　be
  quiet！　　But　I　can't　be　quiet；　either　before　the　fire　or　abed；　so　I
  runs　out　of　the　house；　and　stares　at　the　rocks；　at　the　trees；　and
  sometimes　at　the　clouds；　as　they　run　a　race　across　the　bright　moon；
  and；　the　more　I　stares；　the　more　frighted　I　grows；　till　I　screeches
  and　holloas。　　And　last　night　I　went　into　the　barn；　and　hid　my　face
  in　the　straw；　and　there；　as　I　lay　and　shivered　in　the　straw；　I
  heard　a　voice　above　my　head　singing　out　〃To　whit；　to　whoo！〃　and
  then　up　I　starts；　and　runs　into　the　house；　and　falls　over　my
  brother　Denis；　as　he　lies　at　the　fire。　　〃What's　that　for？〃　says　he。
  〃Get　up；　you　thief！〃　says　I；　〃and　be　helping　me。　　I　have　been　out
  into　the　barn；　and　an　owl　has　crow'd　at　me！〃'
  'And　what　has　this　to　do　with　playing　cards？'
  'Little　enough；　Shorsha　dear！　…　If　there　were　card…playing；　I
  should　not　be　frighted。'
  'And　why　do　you　not　play　at　cards？'
  'Did　I　not　tell　you　that　the　thief；　my　uncle　Phelim；　stole　away　the
  pack？　　If　we　had　the　pack；　my　brother　Denis　and　the　gossoons　would
  be　ready　enough　to　get　up　from　their　sleep　before　the　fire；　and
  play　cards　with　me　for　ha'pence；　or　eggs；　or　nothing　at　all；　but
  the　pack　is　gone　…　bad　luck　to　the　thief　who　took　it！'
  'And　why　don't　you　buy　another？'
  'Is　it　of　buying　you　are　speaking？　　And　where　am　I　to　get　the
  money？'
  'Ah！　that's　another　thing！'
  'Faith　it　is；　honey！　…　And　now　the　Christmas　holidays　is　coming；
  when　I　shall　be　at　home　by　day　as　well　as　night；　and　then　what　am　I
  to　do？　　Since　I　have　been　a　saggarting；　I　have　been　good　for
  nothing　at　all　…　neither　for　work　nor　Greek　…　only　to　play　cards！
  Faith；　it's　going　mad　I　will　be！'
  'I　say；　Murtagh！'
  'Yes；　Shorsha　dear！'
  'I　have　a　pack　of　cards。'
  'You　don't　say　so；　Shorsha　ma　vourneen？　…　you　don't　say　that　you
  have　cards　fifty…two？'
  'I　do；　though；　and　they　are　quite　new　…　never　been　once　used。'
  'And　you'll　be　lending　them　to　me；　I　warrant？'
  'Don't　think　it！　…　But　I'll　sell　them　to　you；　joy；　if　you　like。'
  'Hanam　mon　Dioul！　am　I　not　after　telling　you　that　I　have　no　money
  at　all！'
  'But　you　have　as　good　as　money；　to　me；　at　least；　and　I'll　take　it
  in　exchange。'
  'What's　that；　Shorsha　dear？'
  'Irish！'
  'Irish？'
  'Yes；　you　speak　Irish；　I　heard　you　talking　it　the　other　day　to　the
  cripple。　　You　shall　teach　me　Irish。'
  'And　is　it　a　language…master　you'd　be　making　of　me？'
  'To　be　sure！　…　what　better　can　you　do？　…　it　would　help　you　to　pass
  your　time　at　school。　　You　can't　learn　Greek；　so　you　must　teach
  Irish！'
  Before　Christmas；　Murtagh　was　playing　at　cards　with　his　brother
  Denis；　and　I　could　speak　a　considerable　quantity　of　broken　Irish。
  CHAPTER　XI
  Templemore　…　Devil's　Mountain　…　No　companion　…　Force　of
  circumstance　…　Way　of　the　world　…　Ruined　castle　…　Grim　and　desolate
  …　The　donjon　…　Old　woman　…　My　own　house。
  WHEN　Christmas　was　over；　and　the　new　year　commenced；　we　broke　up
  our　quarters；　and　marched　away　to　Templemore。　　This　was　a　large
  military　station；　situated　in　a　wild　and　thinly　inhabited　country。
  Extensive　bogs　were　in　the　neighbourhood；　connected　with　the　huge
  bog　of　Allen；　the　Palus　Maeotis　of　Ireland。　　Here　and　there　was
  seen　a　ruined　castle　looming　through　the　mists　of　winter；　whilst；
  at　the　distance　of　seven　miles；　rose　a　singular　mountain；
  exhibiting　in　its　brow　a　chasm；　or　vacuum；　just；　for　all　the　world；
  as　if　a　piece　had　been　bitten　out；　a　feat　which；　according　to　the
  tradition　of　the　country；　had　actually　been　performed　by　his
  Satanic　majesty；　who；　after　flying　for　some　leagues　with　the　morsel
  in　his　mouth；　becoming　weary；　dropped　it　in　the　vicinity　of　Cashel；
  where　it　may　now　be　seen　in　the　shape　of　a　bold　bluff　hill；　crowned
  with　the　ruins　of　a　stately　edifice；　probably　built　by　some　ancient
  Irish　king。
  We　had　been　here　only　a　few　days；　when　my　brother；　who；　as　I　have
  before　observed；　had　become　one　of　his　Majesty's　officers；　was　sent
  on　detachment　to　a　village　at　about　ten　miles'　distance。　　He　was
  not　sixteen；　and；　though　three　years　older　than　myself；　scarcely　my
  equal　in　stature；　for　I　had　become　tall　and　large…limbed　for　my
  age；　but　there　was　a　spirit　in　him　which　would　not　have　disgraced　a
  general；　and；　nothing　daunted　at　the　considerable　responsibility
  which　he　was　about　to　incur；　he　marched　sturdily　out　of　the
  barrack…yard　at　the　head　of　his　party；　consisting　of　twenty　light…
  infantry　men；　and　a　tall　grenadier　sergeant；　selected　expressly　by
  my　father；　for　the　soldier…like　qualities　which　he　possessed；　to
  accompany　his　son　on　this　his　first　expedition。　　So　out　of　the
  barrack…yard；　with　something　of　an　air；　marched　my　dear　brother；
  his　single　drum　and　fife　playing　the　inspiring　old　melody；
  Marlbrouk　is　gone　to　the　wars；
  He'll　never　return　no　more！
  I　soon　missed　my　brother；　for　I　was　now　alone；　with　no　being；　at
  all　assimilating　in　age；　with　whom　I　could　exchange　a　word。　　Of
  late　years；　from　being　almost　constantly　at　school；　I　had　cast
  aside；　in　a　great　degree；　my　unsocial　habits　and　natural　reserve；
  but　in　the　desolate　region　in　which　we　now　were　there　was　no
  school；　and　I　felt　doubly　the　loss　of　my　brother；　whom；　moreover；　I
  tenderly　loved　for　his　own　sake。　　Books　I　had　none；　at　least　such
  'as　I　cared　about'；　and　with　respect　to　the　old　volume；　the　wonders
  of　which　had　first　beguiled　me　into　common　reading；　I　had　so
  frequently　pored　over　its　pages；　that　I　had　almost　got　its　contents
  by　heart。　　I　was　therefore　in　danger　of　falling　into　the　same
  predicament　as　Murtagh；　becoming　'frighted'　from　having　nothing　to
  do！　　Nay；　I　had　not　even　his　resources；　I　cared　not　for　cards；　even
  if　I　possessed　them　and　could　find　people　disposed　to　play　with
  them。　　However；　I　made　the　most　of　circumstances；　and　roamed　about
  the　desolate　fields　and　bogs　in　the　neighbourhood；　sometimes
  entering　the　cabins　of　the　peasantry；　with　a　'God's　blessing　upon
  you；　good　people！'　where　I　would　take　my　seat　on　the　'stranger