lover would, considering her feeble state of health,
effectually accomplish his wishes, and with this consoling reflection he
rode home.

His great anxiety now was, his alarm lest his brother should recover.
On reaching Rathfillan House he proceeded to his bedroom, where he found
his sister watching.

"My dear Maria," said he, in a low and most affectionate voice, "is he
better?"

"I hope so," she replied, in a voice equally low; "this is the first
sleep he has got, and I hope it will remove the fever."

"Well, I will not stop," said he, "but do you watch him carefully,
Maria, and see that he is not disturbed."

"O, indeed, Harry, you may rest assured that I shall do so. Poor, dear
Charles, what would become of us all if we lost him--and Alice Goodwin,
too--O, she would die. Now, go, dear Harry, and leave him to me."

Harry left the room apparently in profound sorrow, and, on going into
the parlor, met Barney Casey in the hall.

"Barney," said he, "come into the parlor for a moment. My father is out,
and my mother is upstairs. I want to know how this affair happened
last night, and how it occurred that you were present at it. It's a bad
business, Barney."

"Devil a worser," replied Barney, "especially for poor Mr. Charles.
I was fortunately goin' down on my _kalie_ to the family of poor
disconsolate Granua (Grace), when, on passing the clump of alders, I
heard screams and shouts to no end. I ran to the spot I heard the skirls
comin' from, and there I found Mr. Charles, lyin' as if dead, and Grace
Davoren with her hands clasped like a mad woman over him. The strange
men then joined us, and carried him home, and that's all I know about
it."

"But, can you understand it, Barney? As for me, I cannot. Did Grace say
nothing during her alarm?"

"Divil a syllable," replied Barney, lying without remorse; "she was
so thunderstruck with what happened that she could do nothing nor say
anything but cry out and scream for the bare life of her. They say she
has disappeared from her family, and that nobody knows where she has
gone to. I was at her father's to-day, and I know they are searchin' the
country for her. It is thought she has made away with herself."

"Poor Charles," exclaimed his brother, "what an unfortunate business it
has turned out on both sides! I thought he was attached to Miss Goodwin;
but it would appear now that he was deceiving her all along."

"Well, Mr. Harry," replied Barney, dryly, or rather wit