He was in the habit occasionally of going down to the kitchen to indulge in a smoke and a piece of banter with the servants.

One evening, whilst thus amusing himself, the conversation turned upon the prevailing superstitions of the day.

Ghosts, witches, wizards; astrologers, fairies, leprechauns, and all that could be termed supernatural, or even related to or aided by it, were discussed at considerable length, and with every variety of feeling.

Amongst the rest the Banshee was mentioned--a spirit of whose peculiar office and character Woodward, in consequence of his long absence from the country, was completely ignorant.
"The Banshee!" he exclaimed; "what kind of a spirit is that?
I have never heard of it." "Why, sir," replied Barney, who was present, "the Banshee--the Lord prevent us from hearin' her--is always the forerunner of death.

She attends only certain families--principally the ould Milesians, and mostly Catholics, too; although, I believe, it's well known that she sometimes attends Protestants whose families have been Catholics or Milesians, until the last of the name disappears.