ion to her brother or
her priest, and consequently she was to a degree humiliated even in
his eyes. She did not feel the degradation herself, but there was
still a feeling within, which she could not define, which usually
destroyed her comfort.

Now, however, Myles was in so good a temper, and seemed so kind to
her, that that, and her little prospect of pleasure, did make her
happy.

She was sitting in this humour on the old sofa close to him, leaning
on his arm, which was round her waist, when she heard her brother's
footstep at the hall door.

"Here's Thady, Myles; sit off a bit."

Myles got up and walked to the window, and Thady entered with
anything but a gay look; he had just left Father John.

"Well, Thady?" said Feemy.

"How are you, Thady, this morning?" said the Captain, offering his
hand, which the other reluctantly took.

"Good morning, Captain Ussher."

"Did you hear, Thady, I caught another of your boys with malt up at
Loch Sheen last Monday,--Joe Reynolds, or Tim Reynolds, or something?
He's safe in Carrick."

"I did hear you got a poor boy up there, who was in it by chance, and
took him off just for nothing. But he's no tenant of ours, so I have
nothing to do with it; his brother Joe lives on our land."

"Do you mean to tell me, Thady, you believe all that d----d nonsense
about knowing nothing about it; and he sitting there in the cabin,
and the malt hadn't been in it half an hour?"

"I don't know what you call d----d nonsense, Captain Ussher; but I
suppose I may believe what I please without going to Carrick Gaol too
for it."

"Believe what you please for me, Master Thady. Why you seem to have
got out of bed the wrong side this morning; or have you and Keegan
been striking up some new tiff about the 'rints?'"

"Mr. Keegan's affairs with me arn't any affairs of yours, Captain
Ussher. When I ask you to set them right, then you can talk to me
about them."

"Hoity toity, Mr. Macdermot; your affairs, and Mr. Keegan's affairs,
and my affairs! Why I suppose you'll be calling me out next for
taking up a d----d whining thief of a fellow because his brother is a
tenant of your father's, and send me the challenge by Mr. Brady, who
invited me to a party at his house just now."

Thady said nothing to this, but stood with his back to the fire,
looking as grim as death.

"Oh, Captain Ussher!" said Feemy, "you wouldn't be quarrelling with
Thady about nothing? You know he has so much to bother him