shall feel
as if I were in a desert, or rather, I should say, in a dungeon; for,
indeed, I fear that I am about to become a prisoner in my father's
house, and entangled more and more every day in the meshes of that
detestable villain. In the meantime, we must, as I said, have courage
and patience, and trust to a change of circumstances for better times."

"May the Lord in heaven grant them soon and sudden, for both your
sakes," ejaculated Ellen. "I pray the Saviour that he may!"

"But, Ellen," said the Cooleen, "didn't you hint to me, once or twice,
that you yourself have, or had, a lover named Reilly!"

"I did," she replied, "not that I have, but that I had--and, what is
more, an humble and distant relation of him."

"You say you had. What do you mean by that, Ellen? Have you, too,
experienced your crosses and calamities?"

"Indeed, ma'am, I have had my share; and I know too well what it is to
have the heart within as full of sorrow, and all but broken."

"Why, my poor girl, and have you too experienced disappointment and
affliction?"

"God, ma'am, has given me my share; but, in my case, the affliction was
greater than the disappointment, although that too came soon enough upon
me."

"Why, did not the affliction, in your case, proceed from the
disappointment?"

"Not exactly, miss, but indeed partly it did. It's but a short story,
my dear mistress, and I'll tell it to you. Fergus is his name--Fergus
O'Reilly. His father, for doin' something or other contrary to the
laws--harborin' some outlaw, I believe, that was a relation of his own,
and who was found by the army in his house--well, his father, a very
ould man, was taken prisoner, and put into jail, where he died before
they could try him; and well it was he did so, for, by all accounts,
they'd have transported or hanged the poor ould man, who was then past
seventy. Now, over and above that, they'd have done the same thing with
his son Fergus, but that he disappeared and but few knows what became of
him."

"Why, did he go without having had an interview with you?" asked the
Cooleen.

"Indeed he did, miss, and small blame to him; for the truth is, he had
little time for leave-takin'--it was as much as he could do to make his
escape, which, thank God, he did. But, indeed, I oughtn't to thank God
for it, I doubt, because it would have been better, and ten times
more creditable to himself, if he had been transported, or hanged
himself--for that, ma'am, is