to me."

His honour rounded angrily on me.

"What does this mean, sirrah? How did you dare to take her to Kilgorman
after the charge I laid upon you?"

"Barry take me, indeed!" broke in Miss Kit, with a mighty toss of her
head. "Barry takes me nowhere. It was I took him, whether he would or
not; and a very poor adventure he made of it. You shall take me
yourself next time, father."

"Understand," said his honour, looking very black, "that no one, not
even my daughter, is permitted to go where I forbid.--As for you, you
prying fool," added he, turning on me, "you shall see whether I am to be
obeyed or not."

I deemed it prudent to say nothing, and retired, pretty determined that
were his honour Saint Patrick himself he should not keep me out of
Kilgorman. But I had missed my chance.

After that day my position at Knockowen became more irksome than ever,
for I was taken from my work in the stables, and a new boy appointed in
my place to tend the horses and accompany Miss Kit when she rode out.
And I was kept all day within doors, at everybody's beck and call, from
cock-crow, when I had to light the fires, to midnight, when I had to see
his honour's clothes brushed and laid out in his dressing-room.

My only liberty, if liberty it might be called, was when the boat was
wanted. There my seamanship made me necessary. But since no one
thought of sailing towards the lough mouth, but only across or up
towards Rathmullan, there was no chance of my defying his honour's
regulations that way.

For a week or two even my mother's message was driven from my head by
hatred of my rival, the new groom--a villainous-looking rascal, some
years my elder, who yet had not even the merit of being a good horseman
to commend him.

Rightly or wrongly, I suspected that part of his business was to keep a
watch on me. And if anything could determine me to defiance that was
enough. As to Miss Kit, I humbly hoped she liked the change as little
as I; for since her liberty was cut off from one road, and her new
lackey had neither looks nor conversation to commend him, her love of
riding gradually flagged, and presently Martin--that was the fellow's
name--had to lead out her riderless horse for exercise.

The trying thing to me was that Martin would not even do me the
compliment of recognising me as his enemy. It was not for lack of
invitation, nor was it owing to cowardice. But he was a dogged, short-
sighted villain, taken up wi