He could scarcely summon voice enough to reply:

"It's me, sir," said he; "Barney Casey."

"Come on, Barney," said Woodward, "come on quickly;" and he had scarcely
spoken when Barney joined him.

"Barney," said he, "I am in a state of great terror. I have felt ever
since I passed that Haunted House as if there was an evil spirit in my
company. The feeling was dreadful, and I am very weak in consequence of
it. Give me you arm."

"But did you see nothing, sir?" said Barney; "didn't it become visible
to you?"

"No," replied the other; "but I felt as if I was in the presence of a
supernatural being, and an evil one, too."

"God protect us, Mr. Harry! then, if you didn't see it I did."

"You did!" replied the other, startled; "and pray what was it like?"

"Why, a black ould man, sir; and, by all accounts that ever I could hear
of it, it was nothing else than the Shan-dhinne-dhuv. For God's sake
let us come home, sir, for this, if all they say be true, is unholy and
cursed ground we're standin' on."

"And where did it disappear?" asked Woodward, leading him by a circuit
from the spot where it had vanished.

"Just over there, sir," replied Barney, pointing to the place. "But,
in God's name, let us make for home as fast as we can. I'll think every
minute an hour till we get safe undher our own roof."

"Barney," said Woodward, solemnly, "I have a request to make of you, and
it is this--the common report is, that the spirit in question follows
our family--I mean by my mother's side. Now I beg, as you expect my
good will and countenance, that, for my sake, and out of respect for the
family in general, you will never breathe a syllable of what you have
seen this night. It could answer no earthly purpose, and would only
send abroad idle and unpleasant rumors throughout the country. Will you
promise this?"

"Of course I promise it," replied Barney; "what object could I gain by
repeatin' it?"

"None whatsoever. Well, then, be silent on the subject, and let us reach
home as soon as we can."

It would be difficult to describe honest Barney's feelings as they went
along. He imagined that he felt Harry's arm tremble within his, and when
he thought of the reports concerning the evil spirit, and its
connection with Mrs. Lindsay's family, his sensations were anything
but comfortable. He tossed and tumbled that night for hours in his
bed before he was able to sleep, and when he did sleep the
_Shan-dhinne-dhuv_ rendered h