r flushed face in its folds.

'They shall remain here together till to-morrow,' said Simon, who had
now quite recovered his dignity--'till to-morrow. Come away!'

'Ay!' cried Hugh. 'Come away, captain. Ha ha ha!'

'What are you laughing at?' demanded Simon sternly.

'Nothing, captain, nothing,' Hugh rejoined; and as he spoke, and clapped
his hand upon the shoulder of the little man, he laughed again, for some
unknown reason, with tenfold violence.

Mr Tappertit surveyed him from head to foot with lofty scorn (this only
made him laugh the more), and turning to the prisoners, said:

'You'll take notice, ladies, that this place is well watched on every
side, and that the least noise is certain to be attended with unpleasant
consequences. You'll hear--both of you--more of our intentions
to-morrow. In the mean time, don't show yourselves at the window, or
appeal to any of the people you may see pass it; for if you do, it'll
be known directly that you come from a Catholic house, and all the
exertions our men can make, may not be able to save your lives.'

With this last caution, which was true enough, he turned to the door,
followed by Hugh and Dennis. They paused for a moment, going out, to
look at them clasped in each other's arms, and then left the cottage;
fastening the door, and setting a good watch upon it, and indeed all
round the house.

'I say,' growled Dennis, as they walked away in company, 'that's a
dainty pair. Muster Gashford's one is as handsome as the other, eh?'

'Hush!' said Hugh, hastily. 'Don't you mention names. It's a bad habit.'

'I wouldn't like to be HIM, then (as you don't like names), when he
breaks it out to her; that's all,' said Dennis. 'She's one of them fine,
black-eyed, proud gals, as I wouldn't trust at such times with a knife
too near 'em. I've seen some of that sort, afore now. I recollect one
that was worked off, many year ago--and there was a gentleman in that
case too--that says to me, with her lip a trembling, but her hand as
steady as ever I see one: "Dennis, I'm near my end, but if I had a
dagger in these fingers, and he was within my reach, I'd strike him dead
afore me;"--ah, she did--and she'd have done it too!'

Strike who dead?' demanded Hugh.

'How should I know, brother?' answered Dennis. 'SHE never said; not
she.'

Hugh looked, for a moment, as though he would have made some further
inquiry into this incoherent recollection; but Simon Tappertit, who had
been medi