ude," said Fagan, still endeavoring
to lead him on to some explanation. My father nodded.

"Unwitnessed also," said Fagan, slowly. Another nod implied assent.

"Who knows of your presence in Dublin?--Who has seen you since your
arrival in Dublin?" asked he.

"None of my acquaintances, so far, at least, as I know. I went, by a
mere accident, to an hotel where I am not known. By another accident, if
I dare so call it, I fell upon this rencontre. I will endeavor to tell
you the whole, as it occurred,--that is, if I can sufficiently collect
myself; but first let me have some wine, Fagan, for I am growing weak."

As Fagan left the room, he passed the desk where Raper was already
seated, hard at work, and, laying his hand on the clerk's shoulder, he
whispered,--

"Be cautious that you do not mention Mr. Carew's arrival here. There is
a writ out against him for debt, and he has come up here to be out of
the way."

Raper heard the words without even discontinuing to write, and merely
muttered a brief "Very well," in reply.

When Fagan re-entered the chamber, he found my father just rallying from
a fainting-fit, which loss of blood and agitation together had brought
on. Two or three glasses of wine, hastily swallowed, restored him, and
he was again able to converse.

"Can you be traced to this house? Is there any clew to you here?" asked
Fagan, resuming his former seat.

"None, so far as I know. The affair occurred thus--"

"Pardon my interrupting you," broke in Fagan; "but the most important
thing at this moment is, to provide for your safety, in the event of any
search after you. Have you any ground to apprehend this?"

"None whatever. You shall hear the story."

"They are talking of it outside!" whispered Fagan, with a gesture of his
hand to enforce caution; "let us listen to them." And he slowly unlocked
the door, and left it to stand ajar.

The outer shop was by this time filling with the small fruit-vendors of
the capital,--a class peculiarly disposed to collect and propagate the
gossip of the day; and Fagan well knew how much the popular impression
would depend upon the coloring of their recital.

"'T is lucky," said one, "that his watch and money was on him, or they
'd say at once it was the boys done it."

"Faix! they could n't do that," broke in another; "there's marks about
the place would soon contradict them."

"What marks?"

"The print of an elegant boot. I saw it myself; it is small in the hee