get talked
abroad."

"But they say she walks with him after dark; and goes in and out
there at Ballycloran, at all hours, just as she pleases. Of course I
can have none of those doings here."

"Of course not; it is because she has no one there to tell her what
is right or wrong that I wish her to be here. Of course you have
regular hours here, and you'll find you'll have no difficulty with
her that way."

"Well, Father John, I've only one more thing to say, and you'll
answer me that as a priest and a Christian. God knows, I wouldn't
believe any ill-natured story against any poor girl situated as Feemy
is; but you know, such things will get about:--people say Ussher
speaks of her as his mistress, instead of as his wife. Now, Father
John, if this unfortunate girl, whom I'm ready and willing to help,
has done anything really wrong, you would not be the means of
bringing her into the house with my own dear girls! Have you, Father
John, told me all you know about her attachment to this man?"

"Indeed then if she was unfit to associate with your girls, Mrs.
McKeon, I'd be the last man on earth to ask you to invite her here.
If Feemy has been imprudent in going out too much alone with Ussher,
it's the most that with truth can be said against her; and as you ask
me to tell you all, I'll tell you one thing I didn't wish to mention
before the girls." And Father John told her how Thady had got drunk,
and insulted Ussher, telling him not to come to Ballycloran again,
and all that: but he did not tell her how strongly he suspected that
Thady was right in his fears for his sister, and that his chief
object in getting Feemy away from Ballycloran was to remove her as
far as possible from Ussher's influence.

"Well, Father John, I'll go to Ballycloran, and ask her here; I
suppose she'll hardly be ready to come to-day, but if she pleases,
I'll drive over again for her after to-morrow. I'll go now and talk
Louey over, for you and she seem to have quarrelled somehow."

"And God bless you, Mrs. McKeon; it's yourself is a good woman; and
you never did a kinder action than the one you're going to do this
morning!" and Father John took his leave.

The breakfast party at Ballycloran the morning after the wedding was
not a very lively one; indeed the meals at Ballycloran seldom were
very gay, but this was more than usually sombre.

Larry was brooding over Keegan's threats, his fears that Thady meant
to betray him into the attorney's h