How do you like our town, sir," he added, changing the subject.
"I have seen too little of it," replied the stranger, "to judge.

Is this your native town, Mr.Fenton," he added.
"No, sir; not my native town," replied Fenton; "but I have resided here from hand to mouth long enough to know almost every individual in the barony at large." During this dialogue, the stranger eyed Fenton, as he called himself, very closely; in fact, he watched every feature of his with a degree of curiosity and doubt that was exceedingly singular.
"Have you, sir, been here before." asked Fenton; "or is this your first visit ?" "It is not my first visit," replied the other; "but it is likely I shall reside here for some months." "For the benefit of your health, I presume," asked modest Frank.
"My good friend," replied the stranger, "I wish to make an observation.
It is possible, I say, that I may remain here for some months; now, pray, attend, and mark me--whenever you and I chance, on any future occasion, to meet, it is to be understood between us that you are to answer me in anything I ask, which you know, and I to answer you in nothing, unless I wish it." "Thank you, sir," he replied, with a low and not ungraceful bow; "that's a compliment all to the one side, like Clogher."* * The proverb is pretty general throughout Tyrone.

The town of Clogher consists of only a single string of houses.
"Very well," returned the stranger; "I have something to add, in order to make this arrangement more palatable to you." "Hold, sir," replied the other; "before you proceed further, you must understand me.

I shall pledge myself under no terms--and I care not what they may be--to answer any question that may throw light upon my own personal identity, or past history." "That will not be necessary," replied the stranger.
"What do you mean, sir," asked Fenton, starting; "do you mean to hint that you know me ?" "Nonsense," said the other; "how could I know a man whom I never saw before?
No; it is merely concerning the local history of Ballytrain and its inhabitants that I am speaking." There was a slight degree of dry irony, however, on his face, as he spoke.
"Well," said the other, "in the mean time, I don't see why I am to comply with a condition so dictatorially laid down by a person of whom I know nothing." "Why, the truth is," said our strange friend, "that you are evidently a lively and intelligent fellow, not badly educated; I think--and, as it is likely that you have no very direct connection with the inhabitants of the town and surrounding country, I take it for granted that, in the way of mere amusement, you may be able to--" "Hem! I see--to give you all the scandal of the place for miles about; that is what you would say?
and so I can.

But suppose a spark of the gentleman should--should--but come, hang it, that is gone, hopelessly gone.