omes a watchman. I say, is this Kevin Street?'

'No, sir; the second turning to your right brings you into it.'

'Kevin Street!' said I, repeating the name half aloud to myself.

'Yes, Jack, so it is called; but all your ingenuity will prove too
little in discovering whither you are going. So come along; leave time
to tell you what guessing never will.'

By this time we arrived at the street in question, when very soon after
O'Grady called out--

'All right--here we are!'

With these words he knocked three times in a peculiar manner at the door
of a large and gloomy-looking house. An ill-trimmed lamp threw a faint
and nickering light upon the old and ruined building, and I could trace
here and there, through all the wreck of time, some remnants of a better
day. The windows now, however, were broken in several places, those on
the lower storey being defended on the outside by a strong iron railing;
not a gleam of light shone through any one of them, but a darkness
unrelieved, save by the yellow gleam of the street lamp, enveloped the
entire building. O'Gradys summons was twice repeated ere there seemed
any chance of its being replied to, when, at last, the step of a heavy
foot descending the stairs announced the approach of some one. While I
continued my survey of the house O'Grady never spoke, and, perceiving
that he made a mystery of our visit, I resolved to ask no further
questions, but patiently await the result; my impression, however,
was, that the place was the resort either of thieves or of some illegal
association, of which more than one, at that time, were known to
have their meetings in the capital. While I was thus occupied in
my conjectures, and wondering within myself how O'Grady had become
acquainted with his friends, the door opened, and a diminutive,
mean-looking old man, shading the candle with his hand, stood at the
entrance.

'Good-evening, Mickey,' cried O'Grady, as he brushed by him into the
hall. 'Are they come?'

'Yes, Captain,' said the little man, as, snuffing the long wick with his
fingers, he held the light up to O'Grady's face. 'Yes, Captain, about
fifteen.'

'This gentleman's with me--come along, Jack--he is my friend, Mickey.'

'Oh, I can't do it by no means, Mister Phil,' said the dwarf, opposing
himself as a barrier to my entrance. 'You know what they said the last
night'--here he strained himself on his toes, and, as O'Grady stooped
down, whispered some words I couldn't catch