aid; but there were some troublesome fellows about, keeping up the
excitement over the arrest at Father M'Fadden's trial of Father
Stephens--a young priest recently from Liverpool, who has become the
curate of quite another Father M'Fadden--the parish priest of
Falcarragh, and is giving his local superior a great deal of trouble by
his activity in connection with the "Plan of Campaign." Mr. Wybrants
Olphert of Ballyconnell, the chief landlord of Falcarragh, has been
"boycotted," on suspicion of promoting the arrest of the two priests.
Five policemen have been put into his house. At Falcarragh, where six
policemen are usually stationed, there are now forty. Mr. Burke
evidently thinks, though he did not say so, that Father Stephens has
been spoiled of his sleep by the laurels of Father M'Fadden of Gweedore.
He is to be tried at Dunfanaghy on Tuesday, and there are now 150 troops
quartered there--Rifles and Hussars.

"Are they not boycotted?" I asked.

"No. The people rather enjoy the bustle and the show, not to speak of
the money the soldiers spend."

Lord Ernest, who knows Mr. Olphert, sent him over a message by Mr. Burke
that we would drive over to-morrow, and pay our respects to him at
Ballyconnell. From this Mr. Burke tried to dissuade us, but what he told
us naturally increased our wish to go.

After luncheon I ordered a car, and drove to Derrybeg, to call there on
Father M'Fadden, Lord Ernest, who has already seen him, agreeing to call
there for me on his return from a walk. We passed much reclaimed
bogland, mostly now in grass, and looking fairly well; many piles of
turf and clusters of cottages, well-built, but not very neatly kept.
From each, as we passed, the inevitable cur rushed out and barked
himself hoarse. Then came a waste of bog and boulders, and then a long,
neat stone wall, well coped with unhewn stone, which announced the
vicinity of Father M'Fadden's house, quite the best structure in the
place after the chapel and the hotel. It is of stone, with a neat side
porch, in which, as I drove up, I descried Father M'Fadden, in his trim
well-fitting clerical costume, standing and talking with an elderly
lady. I passed through a handsome iron wicket, and introduced myself to
him. He received me with much courtesy, and asked me to walk into his
well-furnished comfortable study, where a lady, his sister, to whom he
presented me, sat reading by the fire.

I told Father M'Fadden I had come to get his view of