The Holy Sacrifice was celebrated in the cabins, and not unfrequently on tables which had been covered half-an-hour before with the remains of the last night's supper, and would be cleared half-an-hour afterwards for the midday meal, and perhaps for a game of cards.
Several guests joined us at dinner.

One gentleman, a magistrate familiar with Gweedore, told me he believed the statements of Sergeant Mahony as to the income of Father M'Fadden to fall within the truth.

While he believes that many people in that region live, as he put it, "constantly within a hair's-breadth of famine," he thinks that the great body of the peasants there are in a position, "with industry and thrift, not only to make both ends meet, but to make them overlap." Mr.Stacpoole told us some of his own experiences nearer home.

Not long ago he was informed that the National League had ordered some decent people, who hold the demesne lands of his neighbour, Mr.Macdonald (already alluded to) at a very low rental, to make a demand for a reduction, which would have left Mr.Macdonald without a penny of income.

To counter this Mr.Stacpoole offered to take the lands over for pasture at the existing rental, whereupon the tenants promptly made up their minds to keep their holdings in defiance of the League.
Last year a man, whom Mr.Stacpoole had regarded as a "good" tenant, came to him, bringing the money to pay his rent.