ut the dogs in leash, he said:

"Barney, go and assist Mr. Charles, and I will join you both on the
lawn."

Barney accordingly left the room and closed the door after him; but
instead of proceeding, as directed, to join Charles, he deliberately put
his eye to the key-hole, and saw Harry secrete the pistols and dagger
about his person. Each, also, brought his gun at the suggestion of
Harry, who said, that although they went out merely to course, yet it
was not improbable that they might get a random shot at the grouse or
partridge as they went along. Upon all these matters Barney made his
comments, although he said nothing upon the subject even to Charles,
from whom he scarcely ever concealed a secret. That Harry was brave and
intrepid even to rashness he knew; but why he should arm himself with
such secrecy and caution occasioned him much conjecture. His intrigue
with Grace Davoren was beginning to be suspected. _Shawn-na-Middoque_
might have heard of it. Caterine Collins was one of Woodward's
agents--at least it was supposed from their frequent interviews that
she was, to a certain degree, in his confidence; might not her request,
then, to see him on the preceding night proceed from an anxiety, on
her part, to warn him against some danger to be apprehended from that
fearful freebooter? This was well and correctly reasoned on the part of
Barney, and, with those impressions fixed upon his mind, he accompanied
the two brothers on the sporting expedition of the day.

We shall not dwell upon their success, which was even better than they
had expected. Nothing, however, occurred to render either pistols or
dagger necessary; but Barney observed that, on their return home, Harry
made it a point to come by the well where he and Grace Davoren were in
the habit of meeting, and, having taken his brother aside, he pointed
to the little dark clump of alders, which skirted a small grove, and,
having whispered something to him which he could not hear, they passed
on by the old, broken boreen, which we have described, and reached
home loaded with game, but without any particular adventure. Barney's
vigilance, however, was still awake, and he made up his mind to
ascertain, if possible, why Harry had armed himself, for as yet he had
nothing but suspicion on which to rest. He knew that whenever he went
out at night or in the evening he always went armed; and this was only
natural, for the country was in a dangerous and disturbed state,