y have been, there was little time left for either
remonstrances or explanation on the part of her lover. Whilst addressing
her, a young and powerful man bounded forward, and, brandishing a
long dagger--the dreaded middogue--plunged it into his body, and her
companion fell with a groan. The act was rapid as lightning, and the
moment the work of blood and vengeance had been accomplished, the young
fellow bounded away again with the same speed observable in the rapidity
of his approach. Grace's screams and shrieks were loud and fearful.

"Murdherin' villain of hell," she shouted after Shawn--for it was
he--"you have killed the wrong man--you have murdered the innocent This
is his brother."

Barney was at her side in a moment.

"Heavenly Father!" he exclaimed, shocked and astounded by her words,
"what means this? Is it Mr. Charles?"

"O, yes," she replied, not conscious that in the alarm and terror of the
moment she had betrayed herself, or rather her paramour--"innocent Mr.
Charles I'm afeard is murdhered by that revengeful villain; and now,
Barney, what is to be done, and how will we get assistance to bring him
home? But, cheerna above! what will become of me!"

"Mr. Charles," said Barney, "is it possible that it is you that is
here?"

"I am here, Barney," he replied, with difficulty, "and, I fear, mortally
wounded."

"God forbid!" replied his humble but faithful friend--"I hope it is not
so bad as you think."

"Take this handkerchief," said Charles, "tie it about my breast, and try
and stop the blood. I feel myself getting weak."

This Barney proceeded to do, in which operation we shall leave him,
assisted by the unfortunate girl who was indirectly the means of
bringing this dreadful calamity upon him.

Shaivn-na-Middogue. was not out of the reach of hearing when Grace
shouted after him, having paused to ascertain, if possible, whether he
had done his work effectually. That Harry Woodward was Grace's paramour,
he knew; and that Charles was innocent of that guilt, he also knew.
All that Caterine Collins had told him on the preceding night went for
nothing, because he felt that Woodward had coined those falsehoods
with a view to screen himself from his (Shawn's) vengeance. But in the
meantime Grace's words, uttered in the extremity of her terror, assured
him that there had been some mistake, and that one brother might
have come to explain and apologize for the absence of the other. He
consequently crept back