ty was dancing, the welcomes
with which he was greeted by McGovery and his wife prevented him from
immediately seeking Pat Brady, as he had intended; for he was obliged
to stop to refuse the invitations and offers which he received, that
supper should be got for him. And it was well for those that made
the offers that he did refuse them; for every vestige of what was
eatable in the house had been devoured, and had he acceded to Mary's
reiterated wishes that he would "take jist the laste bit in the
world," it would have puzzled her to make good her offer in the most
literal sense of the words.

Luckily, however, Thady declined her hospitality, and was passing
through to the inner room when he was stopped by Ussher, who, as we
have before said, was standing up to dance with Feemy. The last time
the two young men had met was at the priest's house, when, it will
be remembered, Thady had shown a resolution not to be on good terms
with the Captain, and subsequent events had not at all mollified his
temper; so when Ussher good-humoredly asked him how he was, and told
him he wanted to speak to him a word or two as soon as he should have
tired Feemy dancing, or, what was more probable, Feemy should have
tired him, Thady answered him surlily enough, saying that if Captain
Ussher had anything to say to him, he should be within, but that he
didn't mean to stay there all night, and that perhaps Captain Ussher
had better say it at once.

"Well, Macdermot, perhaps I had; so, if your sister 'll excuse me,
I won't be a minute.--Just step to the door a moment, will you?" and
Thady followed him out.

"Well, Captain Ussher, what is it?"

"I don't know why it is, Macdermot, but for the last two or three
days you seem to want to quarrel with me; if it is so, why don't you
speak out like a man?"

"Is that what you were wanting to say to me?"

"Indeed it was not; for it's little I care whether you choose to
quarrel or let it alone; but I heard something to-night, which,
though I don't wholly believe it, may like enough be partly true; and
if you choose to listen, I will tell you what it was; perhaps you can
tell me whether it was all false; and if you cannot, what I tell you
may keep yourself out of a scrape."

"Well."

"McGovery tells me that he thinks some of the boys that are here
to-night are come to hold some secret meeting; and that, from the
brothers of the two men I arrested the other day being in it, he
thinks their purpos