CHAPTER LXXVIII.
IN WHICH, WHILE THE HARMONY CONTINUES IN FATHER ROACH'S FRONT PARLOUR, A FEW DISCORDS ARE INTRODUCED ELSEWHERE; AND DOCTOR TOOLE ARRIVES IN THE MORNING WITH A MARVELLOUS BUDGET OF NEWS.
The good people who had established themselves in poor Nutter's domicile did not appear at all disconcerted by the priest's summons.

His knock at the hall-door was attended to with the most consummate assurance by M.M.'s maid, just as if the premises had belonged to her mistress all her days.
Between this hussy and his reverence, who was in no mood to be trifled with, there occurred in the hall some very pretty sparring, which ended by his being ushered into the parlour, where sat Mistress Matchwell and Dirty Davy, the 'tea-things' on the table, and an odour more potent than that of the Chinese aroma circulating agreeably through the chamber.
I need not report the dialogue of the parties, showing how the honest priest maintained, under sore trial, his character for politeness while addressing a lady, and how he indemnified himself in the style in which he 'discoorsed' the attorney; how his language fluctuated between the persuasively religious and the horribly profane; and how, at one crisis in the conversation, although he had self-command enough to bow to the matron, he was on the point of cracking the lawyer's crown with the fine specimen of Irish oak which he carried in his hand, and, in fact, nothing but his prudent respect for that gentleman's cloth prevented his doing so.
'But supposin', Ma'am,' said his reverence, referring to the astounding allegation of her marriage with Nutter; 'for the sake of argumint, it should turn out to be so, in coorse you would not like to turn the poor woman out iv doors, without a penny in her pocket, to beg her bread ?' 'Your friend up stairs, Sir, intended playing the lady for the rest of her days,' answered M.M., with a cat-like demureness, sly and cruel, 'at my cost and to my sorrow.

For twenty long years, or nigh hand it, she has lived with my husband, consuming my substance, and keeping me in penury.

What did she allow me all that time ?--not so much as that crust--ha! ha!--no, not even allowed my husband to write me a line, or send me a shilling.

I suppose she owes me for her maintenance here--in my house, out of my property--fully two thousand pounds.