The small portmanteau which contained Billy's wardrobe bore the conspicuous announcement of his name; and as Mickey could read, this was one important step already gained.
He accordingly took the first opportunity of seating himself beside him, and opened the conversation by some very polite observation upon the other's wearing apparel, which is always in the west considered a piece of very courteous attention.

By degrees the dialogue prospered, and Mickey began to make some very important revelations about himself and his master, intimating that the "state of the country" was such that a man of his way of thinking had no peace or quiet in it.
"That's him there, forenent ye," said Mickey, "and a better Protestant never hated Mass.

Ye understand." "What!" said Billy, unbuttoning the collar of his coat to get a fairer view at his companion; "why, I thought you were--" Here he made some resemblance of the usual manner of blessing oneself.
"Me, devil a more nor yourself, Mr.Crow." "Why, do you know me, too ?" "Troth, more knows you than you think." Billy looked very much puzzled at all this; at last he said,-- "And ye tell me that your master there's the right sort ?" "Thrue blue," said Mike, with a wink, "and so is his uncles." "And where are they, when they are at home ?" "In Galway, no less; but they're here now." "Where ?" "Here." At these words he gave a knock of his heel to the coach, as if to intimate their "whereabouts." "You don't mean in the coach, do ye ?" "To be sure I do; and troth you can't know much of the west, av ye don't know the three Mr.Trenches of Tallybash!--them's they." "You don't say so ?" "Faix, but I do." "May I never drink the 12th of July if I didn't think they were priests." "Priests!" said Mickey, in a roar of laughter,--"priests!" "Just priests!" "Be-gorra, though, ye had better keep that to yourself; for they're not the men to have that same said to them." "Of course I wouldn't offend them," said Mr.Crow; "faith, it's not me would cast reflections upon such real out-and-outers as they are.

And where are they going now ?" "To Dublin straight; there's to be a grand lodge next week.

But sure Mr.
Crow knows better than me." Billy after this became silent.