What'll he be saying to it, Joe! Faix then I don't know what
he'll be saying to it; it's little mind, I think, he'll have to be
saying much comfort to any of you; for he'll be vexed and out with
everything, jist at present. He doesn't like the way that Captain
Ussher is schaming with his sister."

"Like it! no, I wonder av he did; a black-hearted Protestant like
him. What business is it a Macdermot would have taking up with the
likes of him?"

"That's not it neither, Joe; but he thinks the Captain don't mane
fair by Miss Feemy! and by the blessed Virgin, he ain't far wrong."

"Then why don't he knock the life out of the traitor? or av there
is rasons why he shouldn't do it hisself, why don't he get one of
the boys as'd be glad of the job to help him. Look here, Pat--" and
Reynolds went over to the fire-place, and with his arm against the
back wall and leaning down over the seat where Brady was sitting,
began whispering earnestly in his ear; and then Brady muttered
something dissenting, in a low voice; and Reynolds went on whispering
again, with gesticulations, and many signs. This continued for a long
time, till Corney exclaimed,

"What the divil, boys, are ye colloquing about there; arn't we all
sworn frinds, and what need ye be whispering about? Why can't ye
spake what ye've got to say out like a man, instead of huggery
muggering there in the corner with Brady, as though any one here
wasn't thrue to ye all."

"Whist, Corney, ye born idiot, ye don't know I s'pose what long ears
the old hag there has? and ye'd be wanting her to hang two or three
of us, I s'pose?"

"Divil a hang, Joe; av no one towld of any but her, we'd be safe
enough that way; but what is it ye're saying?"

But instead of answering him Reynolds continued urging something to
Pat Brady; at last he exclaimed,

"Tear and ages! and why wouldn't he side with the boys as lives on
his own land? av he don't make frinds of them, where will he find
frinds? Is it among the great gintlemen of the counthry? By dad, they
don't think no more of him nor they do of us. And is it the likes
of Captain Ussher as'll be good frinds to him? He's thinking of his
own schames, and taking the honest name from his sister. Is that his
frind, Pat?"

"Didn't I tell ye, Joe, he hates Ussher a d----d sight worse nor you
or I; there's little need to say anything to him about that."

"Why wouldn't he join us then? Who else is there to help him at all?
won't he be as bad as