ed in
Ballinamore Bridewell, for the malt that had been seized in the
cabin by Loch Sheen. However, to prevent the evil arising from this
carelessness in the performance of their duties as conspirators,
Thady was requested to swear on a cross made with the handles of two
knives, that he would not divulge anything that had occurred or been
said in that room that night--with which request he complied.

By the time this was done most of them were drunk, but none were
so drunk as poor Macdermot. His intoxication, moreover, was
unfortunately not of that sort which was likely to end in quiescence
and incapability. It was a sign of the great degradation to which
Macdermot had submitted, in joining these men, that in talking over
the injuries which Ussher had inflicted on them all, he had quietly
heard them canvass Ussher's conduct to his sister, and that in no
measured terms. This had gone much against the grain with him at
first, because he could not but strongly feel that, in abusing
Ussher, they were equally reproaching Feemy. But the fall of high and
fine feelings, when once commenced, is soon accomplished, even when
the fall is from a higher dignity than those of Thady's had ever
reached; and though, a few hours since, he would have allowed no
one but Father John, even to connect his sister's name with Ussher,
he had soon accustomed himself to hear the poorest tenant on his
father's property speak familiarly on the subject, when urging him
to join them in common cause against his enemy. But though he had so
far sacrificed his sister's dignity in his drunken conversation with
these men, he was not the less indignant with the man whose name
they had so unceremoniously joined with hers; and he got up with the
resolution to inform Ussher that the intercourse between him and
Feemy must immediately cease. The spirits he had taken gave him a
false feeling of confidence that he should find means to carry his
resolution into effect without delay.

When he got into the outer room, Ussher and Feemy were not there.
The dancing and drinking were going on as fast as ever; Shamuth,
the piper, was in the same seat, with probably not the same tumbler
of punch beside him, and was fingering away at his pipes as if the
feeling of fatigue was unknown to him; and Mary, the bride, was still
dancing as though her heart had not been broken all the morning with
the work she had had to do. Biddy also, the Ballycloran housemaid,
was in the sevent