e, I'll send Biddy to meet you
with what I must take. She'll meet you on the road, and put it into
the gig."

"Good heavens! what do you mean! would you tell the girl what you're
going to do? Why she'll tell your father, and Thady, and raise the
whole country on me."

"No, she wouldn't, Myles; she wouldn't tell anybody a word, when I
told her not. You don't know those sort of people; she'd not say
a word; so if you'll let me, I'll send her on to meet you with my
things."

With a good deal of reluctance Ussher agreed to this; and then, again
enjoining Feemy not to keep him and the gig waiting in the road, he
took his leave, and departed, with his friend Fred, for Brown Hall;
first of all taking Feemy into the refreshment-room, and making her
drink a glass of sherry. This did her much good, and when she got
back into the ball-room, she was able to dance with tolerable spirit;
and Mrs. McKeon, who had been watching her, and had seen her dance
with Ussher, was glad to think that her _protegee_ had made up her
mind to part with her lover in good spirits, and before the evening
was over she assured Louey, with great glee, that, in spite of all
that had been said, she foresaw that as soon as that horrid man had
been gone three or four days, Feemy would be as well and as cheerful
as ever.

Feemy was, nevertheless, very glad when she was told to get her
cloak on, and found herself on the car going to Drumsna. She then
told her friend that she wanted to be home with her father on the
morrow,--that she had promised to be home the day after the ball.
She even pretended that she had received a message that evening from
her father, begging her return. Mrs. McKeon did not think much about
it, supposing that Feemy's presence might be necessary for household
purposes at Ballycloran, and she readily promised her the loan of the
car, at four in the afternoon, on condition that she would return to
Drumsna at least in a day or two. This Feemy promised, rejoicing that
her expected difficulties as to getting to Ballycloran were so easily
overcome, and going to bed, she slept more soundly than she had yet
done since she had given her fatal consent to Ussher's proposal.

CHAPTER XX.

HOW CAPTAIN USSHER SUCCEEDED.

Late the next morning, Feemy and the other girls got up; they had
slept together to make room in the house for the victorious Bob,
but as Father John had prophesied, they were all too tired to be
much inconvenienced