erstand."

"Why," continued. Clinton, "I was about to take a foolish step to-morrow
morning, for the express purpose, I believe, of keeping him, and
probably the whole family in the country."

He then detailed the conversation that he had with his nephew, upon
which Fethertonge convinced him that there was more in the wind with
respect to that step, than either he or his nephew, who he assured
him was made a cat's paw of in the business, suspected. "That's a deep
move," said the agent, "but we shall defeat them, notwithstanding.
Everything, however, depends upon their leaving the country before
Chevydale happens to come at the real state of the case; still, it will
go hard or we shall baffle both him and them yet."

Whether Clinton Was sure that the step urged upon him by his nephew was
the result of a generous regard for M'Mahon, or that the former was made
a mere tool for ultimate purposes, in the hands of the Ahadarra man, as
he called him it is not easy to determine. Be this as it may, when
the hour of eleven came the next morning, he was prepared to set his
nephew's generosity aside, and act upon Fethertonge's theory of doing
everything in his power to get the whole connection out of the country,
"Ha," he exclaimed, "I now understand what Harry meant with respect to
their emigration--'It is that fact which presses upon him most.' Oh ho!
is it so, indeed! Very good, Mr. M'Mahon--we shall act accordingly."

Gerald Cavanaugh had been made acquainted by his wife on the day before
with the partial revival of his daughter's affection for Bryan M'Mahon,
as well as with the enthusiastic defense of him made by Finigan, two
circumstances which gave him much concern and anxiety. On his return,
however, from Clinton's, his family observed that there was something of
a satisfactory expression mingled up with a good deal of grave thought
in his face. The truth is, if the worthy man thought for a moment that
the ultimate loss of M'Mahon would have seriously injured her peace
of mind, he would have bitterly regretted it, and perhaps encourage
a reconciliation. This was a result, however, that he could scarcely
comprehend. That she might fret and pine for a few months or so was the
worst he could calculate upon, and of course he took it for granted,
that the moment her affection for one was effaced, another might step
in, without any great risk of disappointment.

"Well, Gerald," said his wife, "what did Ganger Clinton want wit