h was
being prepared, but that the waggons themselves should be taken back a
quarter of a mile along the road, and left there under the charge of
their drivers, who were not to move until joined by their owner. He then
rode back, and shook hands with John.

"I am glad to see you," he said. "All are well, I hope, at both our
homes?"

"Quite well, sir."

"Thank God for that! Now, I must leave you to see that our work is
thoroughly carried out. You will find your waggons safe, a quarter of a
mile along the road. I will leave you to tell all the home news to
Walter, who will retell it to me afterwards."

"Now tell me all the news," Walter said, when they were together again.

"The news is not altogether pleasant," John replied. "The whole of the
country round Dublin is being harried by the cavalry in garrison there.
They pay no attention whatever to papers of protection, and care but
little whether those they plunder are Protestant or Catholic, friend or
foe. They go about in small parties, like bands of brigands, through the
country; and those who go to Dublin to obtain redress for their exactions
are received with indifference, and sometimes with insult, by the
authorities. Then, too, we have had trouble at home.

"My grandfather became more bigoted than ever, and would, if he had the
power, have annihilated every Catholic in Ireland. My father and he had
frequent quarrels, and I was in daily expectation of an open breach
between them, and of my father giving up his share of the property, and
taking us to England. He was a backslider, in my grandfather's eyes. The
tales of battle, plunder, and murder seemed to have taken the latter back
to his own fighting days; and he was rather inclined to consider the
generals as lukewarm, than to join in the general indignation at their
atrocious conduct.

"Even the sufferings of the Protestants did not seem to affect him. The
Lord's work, he said, cannot be carried on without victims. It horrified
me to hear him talk. If this was the religion of our fathers, I was fast
coming to the conclusion that it was little better than no religion at
all.

"I think my father and mother saw it in the same light, and the breach
between them and my grandfather daily widened. But I have not told you
the worst, yet. A party of cavalry rode up the other day, and were about,
as usual, to seize upon some cattle. My father was out, and my
grandfather stepped forward and asked them 'how they cou