While of such material were the company, the fare before them was no less varied: here some rubicund squire was deep in amalgamating the contents of a venison pasty with some of Sneyd's oldest claret; his neighbor, less ambitious, and less erudite in such matters, was devouring rashers of bacon, with liberal potations of potteen; some pale-cheeked scion of the law, with all the dust of the Four Courts in his throat, was sipping his humble beverage of black tea beside four sturdy cattle-dealers from Ballinasloe, who were discussing hot whiskey punch and _spoleaion_ (boiled beef) at the very primitive hour of eight in the morning.

Amidst the clank of decanters, the crash of knives and plates, and the jingling of glasses, the laughter and voices of the guests were audibly increasing; and the various modes of "running a buck" (_Anglice_, substituting a vote), or hunting a badger, were talked over on all sides, while the price of a _veal_ (a calf), or a voter, was disputed with all the energy of debate.
Refusing many an offered place, I went through the different rooms in search of Considine, to whom circumstances of late had somehow greatly attached me.
"Here, Charley," cried a voice I was very familiar with,--"here's a place I've been keeping for you." "Ah, Sir Harry, how do you do?
Any of that grouse-pie to spare ?" "Abundance, my boy; but I'm afraid I can't say as much for the liquor.
I have been shouting for claret this half-hour in vain,--do get us some nutriment down here, and the Lord will reward you.

What a pity it is," he added, in a lower tone, to his neighbor--"what a pity a quart-bottle won't hold a quart; but I'll bring it before the House one of these days." That he kept his word in this respect, a motion on the books of the Honorable House will bear me witness.
"Is this it ?" said he, turning towards a farmer-like old man, who had put some question to him across the table; "is it the apple-pie you'll have ?" "Many thanks to your honor,--I'd like it, av it was wholesome." "And why shouldn't it be wholesome ?" said Sir Harry.
"Troth, then, myself does not know; but my father, I heerd tell, died of an apple-plexy, and I'm afeerd of it." I at length found Considine, and learned that, as a very good account of Bodkin had arrived, there was no reason why I should not proceed to the hustings; but I was secretly charged not to take any prominent part in the day's proceedings.

My uncle I only saw for an instant,--he begged me to be careful, avoid all scrapes, and not to quit Considine.

It was past ten o'clock when our formidable procession got under way, and headed towards the town of Galway.