ight. The governor immediately sent the letter across,
with a flag of truce. General Sarsfield, who was in command of the
cavalry, expressed himself highly pleased with the result of the raid
across the Shannon, and appointed three officers to raise another troop
of horse with the captured animals, which had arrived before morning at
Ballygan, and to place themselves under Captain Davenant's command.

"Your son must be a lad after your own heart," he said to Captain
Davenant. "It was indeed a most gallant action, thus, with twenty-five
dismounted men only, to attack a strong troop of Hessians. I hope that,
as soon as he is well enough to mount a horse again, you will introduce
him to me. Keep your troop in readiness for a move, for I mean to beat
them up before long."

"Can't I see Walter today, mamma?" Claire asked, after Captain Davenant
had ridden off. "It seems so unkind, my being in the house with him, and
not going in to tell him how sorry I am that he was wounded."

"Not today, Claire. He is very flushed and feverish this morning, and I
must not have him excited at all."

"But I would not excite him, mother. I would only go in and speak to him
quietly."

"Even that would excite him, my dear. I will tell him that you want to
come in and see him; but that I think you had better not do so, for a day
or two."

But even without the excitement of Claire's presence, Walter became more
feverish, and by evening was talking wildly. The excitement and anxiety
he had gone through were as much responsible for this as the wound, and
by midnight he knew no one. The surgeon, who came over in the evening,
ordered cloths constantly soaked with fresh water to be placed round his
head, and that he should be given, whenever he desired it, barley water
sharpened by apples boiled in it.

Mrs. Conyers and Larry sat, one on each side of his couch, and once or
twice, when he was lying quiet, Claire was allowed to steal in and look
at him; but at other times Mrs. Conyers kept her out of the room, for, in
his feverish talk, Walter was constantly mentioning her name, and telling
her he would come to her.

Mrs. Conyers was troubled and perplexed in her mind. Regarding Claire as
a child, and Walter as a lad of eighteen, the thought that any serious
consequence would arise from their intercourse at the Hall had not
occurred to her; but now she could not doubt that, on Walter's part, at
least, a serious attachment for her daughter had s