CHAPTER VIII .-- Anonymous Letter with a Name to It.
-- Finigan's Dialogue with Hycy The severest tax upon Hycy's powers of invention was, in consequence of his habits of idleness, to find means of occupying his time.

Sometimes, it is true, he condescended to oversee the men while at work, but there it was generally found that so far from keeping them to their employment, he was a considerable drawback upon their industry.

The ordinary business of his life, however, was riding about the country, and especially into the town of Ballymacan and home again.

He was also a regular attendant in all the neighboring fairs; and we may safely assert that no race in the province ever came off without him.
On the second day after his interview with Teddy Phats and the Hogans, he was riding past the post-office, when he heard the window tapped, and, on approaching, a letter was handed out to him, which on opening he found to contain the following communication:-- "Worthy Mr.Hyacinthus-- "A friend unknown to you, but not altogether so to fame, and one.
whom no display of the subtlest ingenuity on behalf of your acute and sagacious intellect could ever decypher through the medium of this epistle, begs to convey to you a valuable portion of anonymous information.

When he says that he is not unknown to fame, the assertion, as far as it goes, is pregnant wid veracity.