he master desires you not?"

"But, Mr. McGrath, I've yet to learn that this drunken fellow is
master here; besides, I suppose it is not a part of his project to
rob me of my horse, which is in his father's stable."

Thady was at length persuaded to allow Ussher to go to the stables
for his horse, and the Captain, after what had passed, did not now
wish to go into the house. He was, however, going up to Feemy to
shake hands with her, when the priest caught him by the arm,
saying,--

"Why would you anger a drunken man, and that too, when the feeling in
his heart is right? I'll tell you what, Captain, if what that young
man fears is true, you're almost as much worse than him as vice is
than virtue."

"Spare me your sermon now, Father John; if I see you to-morrow I'll
hear it in patience," and he galloped down the avenue.

Thady and Feemy went into the house, and we hope each got to
bed without further words; and Father John walked slowly home,
thinking of all the misery he saw in store for his parishioners at
Ballycloran.

CHAPTER XIV.

DENIS M'GOVERY'S TIDINGS.

As soon as he had finished his breakfast on the morning after the
night's events just recorded, Father John took his hat and stick, and
walked down to Drumsna, still charitably intent on finding some means
to soften, if he could not avert, the storm which he saw must follow
the scenes he had witnessed on the previous evening. Ussher would
have considered it want of pluck to stay away because Thady had told
him to do so; Feemy also would encourage his visits, and would lean
more to her lover than her brother--especially as her father, if it
were attempted to make him aware of the state of the case, would be
sure to take Feemy's part. Father John felt it would be impossible to
induce the old man to desire Ussher to discontinue his visits, and he
was confident that unless he did so, the Captain would take advantage
of the unfortunate state of affairs at Ballycloran, and consider
himself as an invited guest, in spite of the efforts Thady might
make to induce him to leave it. But what the priest most feared was,
that the unfortunate girl would be induced to go off with her lover,
who he knew under such circumstances would never marry her; and his
present object was to take her out of the way of such temptation.
Father John gave Feemy credit for principles and feelings
sufficiently high to prevent her from falling immediately into vice,
but he at the