ycy Burke; and in addition to
that disclosure, came another, to the effect that she had been for
a considerable period aware of a robbery which took place in old
Burke's--you may remember the stir it made--and which robbery was
perpetrated by Bat Hogan, one of these infamous tinkers that live in
Gerald Cavanagh's kiln, and under the protection of his family. The
girl's father--who, by the way, is no other than the little black
visaged mendicant who goes about the country--"

"I know him--proceed."

"Her father, I say, on hearing these circumstances, naturally indignant
at Hycy Burke for his attempts to corrupt the principles of his
daughter, brought the latter with him to Father Magowan, in whose
presence she stated all she knew; adding, that she had secured Bat
Hogan's hat and shoes, which, in his hurry, he had forgotten on the
night of the robbery. She also requested the priest to call upon me,
'as she felt certain,' she said, 'in consequence of a letter of Burke's
which I happened to see as she carried it to the post-office, that I
could throw some light upon his villany. He did so.' It was on that
affair the priest called here the other day, and I very candidly
disclosed to him the history of that letter, and its effect in causing
the seizure of the distillery apparatus--the fact being that everything
was got up by Hycy himself--I mean at his cost, with a view to ruin
M'Mahon. And this I did the more readily, as the scoundrel has gone far
to involve me in the conduct imputed to M'Mahon, as his secret abbettor
and enemy."

"Well," observed his uncle, "all that's a very pretty affair as it
stands; but what are you to do next?"

"There is worse behind, I can assure you," continued his nephew. "Hycy
Burke, who is proverbially extravagant, having at last, in an indirect
way, ruined young M'Mahon, from the double motive of ill-will and a wish
to raise money by running illicit spirits--"

"The d--d scoundrel!" exclaimed the gauger, seized with a virtuous
fit of (professional) indignation, "that fellow would scruple at
nothing--proceed."

"By the way," observed the other, rather maliciously, "he made a
complete tool of you in M'Mahon's affair."

"He did, the scoundrel," replied his uncle, wincing a good deal;
"but, as the matter was likely to turn up, he was only working out my
purposes."

"He is in a bad mess now, however," continued his nephew.

"Why, is there worse to come?"

"This same Nanny Peety, you mus