one their work, and we shall have a
comfortable talk, whereas she would not thank me if I were to drop
in when she was busy at the washtub."

"Well, you might ask her to come down, tomorrow morning, to see
me. Of course, she shall not be a loser by giving up her morning's
work."

"Whisht, your honour! When she knows how much you have done for
me, and how you have treated me, she would willingly lose a week's
work to give you pleasure. Well, I will be off at once."

It was eleven o'clock before Mike returned.

"We have had a great talk, your honour, me and Norah. She would
not believe at first that I was her brother, and in truth, I found
it hard to credit that she was Norah, who was a purty colleen when
I saw her last; but when we had convinced each other that we were
both who we said we were, matters went on pleasantly. I told her
some of my adventures with you, and that, by the same token, I had
a hundred gold pieces that the Baron of Pointdexter had given me,
sewn up in a belt round my waist, where it has been ever since I
got it, except when we went into battle, or on that expedition to
Scotland, when, as your honour knows, I always put it in with the
agent in your name, seeing that I would rather, if I was killed,
know that your honour would have it, instead of its being taken by
some villain searching the dead. I told her that, if she and Mrs.
Callaghan wanted to take a bigger place, I would share it with
her, and that quite settled the matter, in her mind, that I was
her brother. She said, as I knew she would, that she would come
and talk to you for a week, if you wanted it; and she will be here
tomorrow, at nine o'clock."

"That is very satisfactory. I am afraid nothing will come of our
talk; but still, one may get a clue to other Kennedys who were
present at the siege of Limerick."

Punctually at nine o'clock, Mike ushered his sister into Desmond's
sitting room.

"I am glad to see you, Mrs. Rooney. Your brother has been with me
for three years, and has rendered me very many services, and I
regard him as a friend, rather than as a servant. I am glad that
he has found his sister, from whom he had been so long parted."

"Mike has been telling me how good you have been to him, and that
he would go through fire and water for you, and that you have had
some wonderful adventures together. He said you wanted to speak to
me about the siege of Limerick. If there is anything that I can
tell you, your honour, I