approaching them.

"Here's a friend of ours," she exclaimed; "no less than Bryan M'Mahon
himself. Come, Dora, we can't go' up to Carriglass, but we'll walk back
with you a piece o' the way."

Bryan, who was then on his return from Chevydale's, soon joined them,
and they proceeded in the direction of his father's, Dora and Hanna
having, with good-humored consideration, gone forward as an advanced
guard, leaving Bryan and Kathleen to enjoy their tete-a-tete behind
them.

"Dear Kathleen," said Bryan, "I was very anxious to see you. You've
h'ard of this unfortunate business that has come upon me?"

"I have," she replied, "and I need not say that I'm sorry for it. Is it,
or will it be as bad as they report?"

"Worse, Kathleen. I will have the fine for all Ahadarra to pay myself."

"But can nothing be done. Wouldn't they let you off when they come to
hear that, although the Still was found upon your land, yet it wasn't
yours, nor it wasn't you that was usin' it?"

"I don't know how that may be. Hycy Burke tells me that they'll be apt
to reduce the fine, if I send them a petition or memorial, or whatever
they call it, an' he's to have one Written for me to-morrow."

"I'm afraid Hycy's a bad authority for anybody, Bryan."

"I don't think you do poor Hycy justice, Kathleen; he's not, in my
opinion, so bad as you think him. I don't know a man, nor I haven't
met a man that's sorrier for what has happened me; he came to see me
yesterday, and to know in what way he could serve me, an' wasn't called
upon to do so."

"I hope you're right, Bryan; for why should I wish Hycy Burke to be a
bad man, or why should I wish him ill? I may be mistaken in him, and I
hope I am."

"Indeed, I think you are, Kathleen; he's wild a good deal, I grant,
and has a spice of mischief in him, and many a worthy young fellow has
both."

"That's very true," she replied; "however, we have h'ard bad enough of
him. There's none of us what we ought to be, Bryan. If you're called
upon to pay this fine, what will, be the consequence?"

"Why, that I'll have to give up my farm--that I won't be left worth
sixpence."

"Who put the still up in Ahadarra?" she inquired. "Is it true that it
was the Hogan's?"

"Indeed I believe there's no doubt about it," he replied; "since I
left the landlord's, I have heard what satisfies me that it was them and
Teddy Phats."

Kathleen paused and sighed. "They are a vile crew," she added, after a
little; "but, be they