Willy Burke, or, The Irish orphan in America - Digital Repository ...

THE IRISH ORPHAN IN AMERICA. 155
one dreads to find you having some, at least, of his c old
womanish ' notions".
" Oh, don't be afraid ", said Peter, " don't be afraid ;
I '11 not quarrel with any one about religion. I leave that
to Master Willy ; for if he chooses to make a fool of himself
with his old Irish notions, that 's no reason why I
shouldn't do better".
Wilson threw a significant glance at Hamilton, and both
smiled. " Such being the case", observed Wilson, drawing
closer to Peter, as they all three walked along together,
" I may venture to tell you, that if you were not
a Catholic, you would be the adopted son of Mr. Watkins,
who, having no children of his own, would, of course, make
you his heir—lucky fellow that you are. I wouldn't tell
you this before Willy, because I know he 'd never forgive
me ; and then he 'd be sure to read you a lesson about
submission to the Church, and threaten to tell the priest".
" I tell you", said Peter, angrily, " that I don't care a
straw about what he says, nor the priest neither, for the
matter of that, I 've been too long humbugged and kept
down with fear of ' the priests', so I '11 just begin to think
and speak for myself ;
and if Mr. Watkins has only that
to complain of, you may tell him from me that I 'm not
such a fool as he takes me for".
" Bravo, Peter !" cried Wilson, and " I give you joy,
Burke !" said Hamilton, and both shook hands with him,
one after the other, Peter feeling all the time as though
he had shaken off on the moment a heavy burden, since he
had found courage to assert, for the first time, his perfect
independence.
Just at this moment they reached the door of the
Wesleyan Methodist meetinghouse, and Wilson, making