There was a vast crowd assembled down where the into the , and where the new fishing-boat, perfect in all her equipments, lolled and rolled on the heaving of the tide. Her high mast made an arc of a circle in the warm June air, as the soft, round wavelets lifted her; and many was the comment made on her by those whose eyes had never rested but on the tarred canvas of the coracle.  
"She has a list to port!" said an old , critically.
 
"Where's yer eyes, Jur?" cried another. "Don't ye see she lanes to stabbord?"
 
"I'll bet dhrinks all round she's level as the althar," said a third.
 
"'Twill take six min to her," cried an old salt, who had been around the world.
 
"'T is aisy to get 'em for the big wages the priest is offering."
 
"How much?" cried a mariner from Moydore.
 
"Fifteen shillings a week, an' a share in the profits."
 
"Here's the capt'n and the priests. Now, boys, for a cheer."
 
And there was a cheer that made the ocean shiver, and fluttered the flags over the tents, and made even the trick-o'-the-loop men pause in their honest , and the orange-sellers hold their suspended in midair.
 
"Is that him?" was the cry, as Father Letheby, his face with excitement and pride, came down the by-path to the pier.
 
"That's him, God bless him!" said the Kilronan men. "'Twas a lucky day brought him among us. What are yere priests doing?"
 
"Divil a bit!" said the strangers, who felt themselves .
 
There was a ring of merchants around Father Letheby, the shopkeepers over from Kilkeel and Loughboro' who had to the balance of local aid required by the Board of Works. They scanned the boat critically, and , in imagination, the profits that were to .
 
A light breeze blew off the land, which was another favorable ; and it was reported that the coast-guards had seen that morning the Manx fishing-fleet about twelve miles to the south'ard.
 
There had been a slight dispute between Father Letheby and Campion about the naming of the craft, the latter demanding that she should be called the "Bittra Campion of Kilronan," and Father Letheby being equally that she should be called the "Star of the Sea." Bittra herself settled the dispute, as, in the of the boat, she flung a bottle of on the deck, and said tremulously: "I name her the 'Star of the Sea.'"
 
But she grew pale, and almost fainted, as the heavy bottle, without a break, pirouetted down between sails and cordage, and seeking an opening in the gunwale of the boat into six of sea-water.
 
It was a omen, and all felt it. Nothing could have been more inauspicious or unlucky. But the Celtic wit and kindness came to her aid.
 
"Never mind, Miss; 't isn't you, but the d——d old hulk that's unlucky."
 
"Thim bottles are made of sheet-iron; they're so tick they don't hould a glassful."
 
"One big cheer, byes, for the 'Star of the Say.'"
 
It was a big cheer; but somehow there was a note somewhere; and when Father Letheby handed Bittra and the decks were cleared, and the crew summoned to make her ready to clear off, the men held back, cowed and afraid.
 
"You cowards," said Father Letheby; "afraid of every little accident! I'll not let one of you now aboard; I'll get a crew of men from Moydore!"
 
This stung them to the quick; and when a few Moydore boys stood forward and volunteered, they were rudely flung aside by the four stalwart fishermen, and we went near having a good free fight to crown the morning's . Yet it was easy to see that their hearts were heavy with and fear; and it was just at this crisis that Campion stepped forward and offered himself as captain and helmsman. There was a genuine ringing cheer when he walked down her deck; for every one knew what a splendid he was, and it is exhilarating to see a strong man, self-reliant and confident, assume an authority and premiership by natural right, where weaklings are timid and . The clouds moved off from Father Letheby's face only to gather more deeply upon poor Bittra's. Campion saw it and came over to where she stood, leaning on Ormsby's arm.
 
"I would be miserable up at that old castle, mignonne," he said fondly, "when you and Ormsby depart. It is only a few hours at sea, and it will give nerve to these poor fellows."
 
"Father! father!" was all that she could say through her tears. What dreadful forebodings filled that gentle heart!
 
"Tell her it's all right, Ormsby!" Campion said, turning away from the tearful face. "You know all about the sea, and that there's no danger. What a noble craft she is! Good by, little woman! You have no time to lose if you want to catch the mail. Good by, Ormsby! Take care of her!"
 
He choked down his emotion as he kissed his child, and then sprang on deck.
 
"All right, lads! Ease off her head first! There, cast away aft!"
 
And the pretty craft was caught up by the flowing tide; and with the strong hand at the helm, floated calmly down the deep creek until she reached a wider space, where the wind could catch her. Then they raised a white sail, half-mast high, and she leaned over to the pressure until she shot out amongst the breakers, and her mainsail and topsail shook out to the breeze, and she cut the calm sea like a plough in the , and the waters curled and whitened and closed in her wake. Then, at a signal, her was hauled to the masthead; and every eye could read in blue letters on a white ground "Star of the Sea." There was a tremendous cheer, and the fishing-boat went forward to her fate.
 
Long after the crowd had , two figures leaned on the battlements of the bridge that spanned the fiord higher up near the great house. Bittra fluttered her little handkerchief as long as the dark at the helm could be discerned. Then the boat, now but a tiny white feather in the distance, was lost in the ; and Bittra and her husband set out on their wedding journey.
 
As we went home, Father Letheby showed me a letter received that morning from the manager of the great firm at Loughboro', complaining that the work lately sent from the Kilronan factory was very imperfect, and, indeed, unsalable, and calling for the first instalment on the machines.
 
"I called the girls' attention to this," he said, "some weeks ago, when the first complaints were made; and some , and some said they were doing too much for the wages I gave them, although, to encourage them, I gave them nearly double what I had for, and have left myself without a penny to meet this first instalment."
 
"Come," I said, "this won't do. Let us go in and see all about this!"
 
We went upstairs to the great room, to find it empty of workers. The girl who was placed in the position of was knitting in a corner, and rose as we entered.
 
"Where are the girls, Kate?" he said, not unkindly.
 
"I don't know, your . They were saying yesterday that this should be a holiday."
 
"They knew all this work was waiting, and that the manager was complaining."
 
"They did, indeed, your reverence. I told them so, and one said: 'Let them wait.' They're about the wages, though they were never better off in their lives before."
 
"Are they all of the same mind in that matter?"
 
"Oh, no, your reverence. Nine of the girls are anxious, and are really grateful for the work; but there are three doxies, who have bachelors, if you please, and they think themselves quite above the work."
 
"I see. I think I know them. They won't come here again. Can you supply their places?"
 
"Easy enough, your reverence, but—"
 
"Never mind. I'll do that myself."
 
He did. He dismissed the recalcitrants ; but when it became a question of obtaining substitutes, it was not so easy.
 
The rest of the girls went to work the following day; but as they passed through the village in the evening on the way home, they were unmercifully, called "staggeens," "thraitors," "informers," and, as a result, remained at home, and sent in their resignation to Father Letheby. Not that the entire body of villagers sympathized with this disgraceful conduct; but the powers of evil are more aggressive than the agents of goodness; and the children of darkness are wiser in their generation than the children of light. I suppose it is the same the wide world over; but, of a surety, in Ireland one rebel makes a thousand. No one thinks himself called upon to be a or witness to the right. Of course, Father Letheby had sympathizers; but they limited their sympathy to criticism:—
 
"He was well in his way, making ladies of thim that ought to be diggin' praties in the fields."
 
"He's young, Maurya; when he gets oulder, he'll know betther."
 
"Shure, they were bad enough to say he was puttin' the money in his own pocket, and dem goin' to their juty every month."
 
"I hard my lady with the fringes and the curls and the say that the poor priest was turning a good pinny by it; and that he larned the thrade from his father."
 
"The dirty whipster; an' I saw the chops and the steaks goin' in her door, where a fryin'-pan was never known to sing before."
 
"An' her kid gloves an' her on Sunday. Begor, the Lady G—— is nothin' to her."
 
"Well, the poor priest is well rid av thim, however. I suppose 't will be shut up now."
 
Nevertheless, the girls never came back. The terror of some nameless, undefined hung over them.
 
But I am anticipating. We dined with Father Letheby the evening of this eventful day. We had a pretty large party of priests; for a good many had come over to witness the launch of the fishing-boat. And, Father Letheby's star being in the ascendant, he had a few worshippers, unenvious, except with the noble of imitating him. This is the rarest, but most glorious success that life holds to the young and the brave. Fame is but a breath; Honor but the paint and tinsel of the stage; Wealth an intolerable burden; but the fire of noble struck from the souls of the young in the glow of enthusias............