so were his father and mother before him.
Indeed, I never knew any but honest men to
be born in Bailieborough."

"Nor I, either," said Columbanus.

"Anything Bishop Felix MacQuaide states,
you may be as sure it is true as if you saw it
in print," said Columbkill. "Bishop Felix
wouldn't tell a lie if he was paid for it,"

"That he wouldn't," said Columbanus.
"Well, now, just listen to me. That same
Felix writes to me, that all the country
round Lehon—but you don't know where
Lehon is."

"No—nor don't want to know," observed
Columbkill.

"May be you're right," Columbanus
replied.

"I know I am right," replied Columbkill.
"What would be the use of my bothering my
poor brains about a place I have no call to?
It is more than I can do to visit all parts of
Ireland, and I ought to be everywhere, from
Leixlip to Lismore, from Galloping Green to
Galway, from Cappoquin to Cabinteely, and
from Banagher to Bandon."

"True, for you," said Columbanus. " But
now as to the letter of Bishop Felix. He
tells me that the whole of the country round
Lehon, all along the sides of the Rance, from
Lehon down to the sea, is in a state of the
frightfullest commotion, on account of the
wickedness of the six Pagan giants that have
built themselves a castle on a high hill,
overlooking the ford of Lehon, and no one—man
or boy, woman or girl, horse, dog, pig, or
cow, can cross from one bank of the stream
to the other without being robbed, murdered,
or run away with by these six Pagan giants.
Armies have been sent against them, and
they have slaughtered all the soldiers.
Dukes and counts have tried to make them
prisoners, but, instead of succeeding, they
have themselves been caught, like so many
rats in a trap, and—to themselves be it told!
—no sooner have they been caught, than they
have been dragged inside the giants' fort;
and there—having been first hanged by the
neck until they were dead—they have been
thrown upon burning piles of wood, and so
offered up as sacrifices to such Pagan deities
as Jupiter, Mars, Neptune, Vulcan, Apollo,
and Mercury—for it is after one or other of
those abominable idols each of the giants is
called."

"Oh! the Pagans!" exclaimed Columbkill,
quite terrified. " Why, those giants must
be of the same religion as the old Romans
were. What is to be done with them!"

"I am going to see what is to be done with
them," said Columbanus.

"You! " cried Columbkill. " Ah! stay at
home, my poor man. Why in the world
should you make a martyr of yourself for a
parcel of foreigners?"

"I tell you what, Columbkill," answered
Columbanus, "I defy all the Pagans that
ever were born to hurt so much as a hair
of my head, if I once get your blessing. So
don't trouble your head in trying to advise
me against going; but just lay your hand
on my forehead—put the sign of the cross
on me, and say ' that be between you and all
harm, Columb, till we meet again!' There,
now do that for me, and in twenty-four hours
afterwards I will be on my way to France.
There, do it at once," said Columbanus,
as he knelt down on the bare road before
Columbkill.

Columbkill put his right hand on the forehead
of Columbanus—did as he was asked—
and then said: "Now stand straight up,
Columbanus."

Columbanus stood up, and the moment
he did so, Columbkill popped down on his two
knees, and said:

"One good turn deserves another. Now
give me your blessing, Columbanus, and then
go your ways in peace."

"There is my blessing for you," said
Columbanus, "and now—for a shake hands,
and then for my 'dough-and-durrus' with
you, and then—I am out of Ireland as quick
and as lively as a sky-rocket."

CHAPTER THE SECOND.

It was in the year five hundred and forty-
two that Columbanus arrived within half a
mile of Lehon.

Columbanus was dead tired.

He had walked all the way from the sea-side
that morning, and he sat down on the top of
a high hill: the same hill on which the town
of Dinan is now built—but then there was
nothing to be seen about the place but
furzebushes, and brambles, without any
blackberries on them.

"I'm as hungry as a hawk, and as weary
as an old garron," said Columbanus; "but
I have the comfort of knowing I have got
into a neighbourhood where there is a chance
of food and shelter; for I hear a great noise,
as if there was a whole lot of men shouting
for a wager against one another. Now, where
there are men, there must be beds to lie in,
and dinners to be eaten; and it would be a
hard palliasse I couldn't sleep on; and a
mighty tough bit of meat I couldn't eat with
a relish!"

As Columbanus was thus thinking to himself,
he heard a terrible hubbub, and in the
middle of it all he fancied he could recognise
the voices of two parties, as eager in their
vociferations as if they were engaged in a
county election, and one of them crying out,
"High! for Mac Law! " and others trying to
outbawl that cry by shouting, "1 High! for
the Pagans!"

"' High! for MacLaw!' " said Columbanus;
"I like that cry—it puts me in mine of poor
old Ireland—the land of the O's and the
Mac's. But then, that other cry, 'High! for
the Pagans! '—Oh! the unnatural beasts, to
boast they aren't even Christians. I'm for
the MacLaws, at all events. Fine or fair,