rrangements, together with the dialogue he had
overheard, Lanigan communicated to the _Cooleen Bawn_.

The squire on that day experienced strange alternations of feeling.
His spirits seemed to rise and sink, as the quicksilver in the glass is
affected by the state of the atmosphere. He looked into the future with
terror, and again became, to the astonishment of his guest--we now talk
of their conduct after dinner--actuated by some thought or impulse that
put him into high spirits. Whitecraft, cool and cautious, resolved
to let him have his way; for the squire was drinking deeply, and the
Burgundy was good and strong.

"Bob, my boy," said he, "you don't drink, and that is a bad sign. You
have either a bad head of late, or a bad heart, which is worse. Hang
you, sir, why don't you drink? I have seen you lay lots of my guests
under the table when you were quite cool; but now, what are you at? They
can't run away to-night. Helen doesn't know that the discovery has been
made. And now, Bob, you dog, listen to me, I say--would you have had the
manliness and courage to expose yourself for the sake of a pretty girl
as he did?--that is--here's a bumper to Helen! Curse you, will nothing
make you drink? No, faith, he hadn't seen Helen at the time; it was for
a worthless old fellow like me that he exposed himself; but no matter,
you may be right; perhaps it was a plot to get acquainted with her.
Still, I'm not sure of that; but if it was, I'll make him smart."

After dinner the squire drank deeply--so deeply, indeed, that Whitecraft
was obliged to call up some of the male servants to carry him to his
chamber and put him to bed. In this task Lanigan assisted, and thanked
his stars that he was incapacitated from watching the lovers, or taking
any means to prevent their escape. As for Whitecraft, thought he, I will
soon send him about his business. Now, this gentleman's suspicions were
the more deeply excited, in consequence of Helen's refusal to meet
him at either lunch or dinner, a refusal which she gave on the plea of
indisposition. He had therefore made up his mind to watch the motions
of _Cooleen Bawn_, and he would have included Reilly in his surveillance
were it not that Lanigan informed him of what he termed the mysterious
disappearance of the under-gardener.

"What!" exclaimed Whitecraft, "is he gone?"

"He has gone, Sir Robert, and he left his week's wages behind him, for
he never came to the steward to ask it. And now, Si