swered Norah, the idea
of who the person was now flashing across her mind; "I beg that you will
not stop my friend and me, as we are anxious to return home without
delay."

"I must and will be heard," exclaimed the stranger, attempting to grasp
Norah's hand. "Come with me; I offer you a heart which loves you to
desperation, and mine you must be. I have the means of enforcing my
request--if your friend interferes, she must take the consequences, and
will be compelled to accompany you."

"You are mad, sir, to suppose for a moment that I would consent to such
a proposal; let me and my friend go, I entreat you."

"For your refusal I was prepared," exclaimed the stranger, "but it will
not avail you;" and putting a silver whistle to his mouth, he blew it
shrilly. It was answered from a distance, and Ellen, looking in the
direction from which the sound came, saw two mounted men, each with a
led horse, approaching. Ellen now gave way to her fears, and uttered
loud shrieks for help. Norah felt all her energies paralysed by the
threatened act of violence, and could only cling to Ellen's arm and
murmur, "Don't leave me! don't leave me!"

A wall rather too high to be leaped over intervened between them and the
horsemen. They had to make a circuit to reach a gate which opened into
the road before they gained it. The rattle of wheels was heard, and
loud shouts of laughter between snatches of song. Just then Ellen saw a
line of cars, the horses at full speed, coming along the road; the
stranger saw them too, and seizing Norah round the waist, endeavoured to
drag her to the wall; but Ellen and she clung frantically to each other,
Ellen again and again shrieking loudly for help. On came the cars; some
men in seamen's dresses sprang from the first, one of them shouting out,
"Shure, it's the young mistress! Be alive, and dale smartly with the
outrageous thief of the world who's dared to lay hands on her;" and,
joined by a dozen or more men from the other cars, armed with stout
shillelaghs, Dan Connor dashed forward at headlong speed. The stranger
glanced round to see how far off their horses still were from him, and
finding that they had not yet passed through the gate, and that all hope
of carrying off Norah must be abandoned, vaulted over the wall and ran
towards them. His companions, seeing what had occurred, hurried up to
his assistance. Just as the party of seamen had got close upon his
heels, he threw himself upon o