nd her daughters; and she made
up her mind that Feemy should at once have her wish and return to
Ballycloran. But then, she might be mistaken--or even, if it were too
true--how could she turn the poor girl, weak, ill, and miserable, out
of her house, and send her to an empty unprovided barrack, inhabited
by an infirm, idiotical old man, where she could receive none of that
attention which her situation so much required?

She communicated her suspicions to the doctor, and after a few days'
observations, he told her that there was too much reason to fear that
the case was as she supposed. He, however, strongly advised her to
speak to Miss Macdermot herself on the subject. This she did, at
last, most tenderly, and with the greatest gentleness--but still
imploring Feemy to tell her the truth. Feemy, at first, could not
speak in reply; she threw herself on her bed sobbing most violently,
and fell from one fit into another, till Mrs. McKeon was afraid that
she would choke herself with the violence of her emotion. At last,
however, she declared that the accusation brought against her was
untrue--protested on her most solemn word and honour that it was not
the case--and ended by saying how thankful she was to Mrs. McKeon for
her kindness and protection, but that she must now beg her to allow
her to return to Ballycloran.

Feemy's denial of the charge against her was so firm, and so
positively made, that it very much shook her friend's suspicions.
When Feemy begged to be sent home, she told her not to agitate
herself at present--that they would all see how she was in a day or
two--and then speaking a few kind words to her, left her to herself.

CHAPTER XXVI.

THE DUEL.

Mr. Jonas Brown was in a towering passion, when he left the meeting
at which he had listened to, but had not ventured to answer,
Counsellor Webb's remarks respecting Thady Macdermot and the supposed
intimacy between Ussher and the inmates of Brown Hall. He had so
openly expressed his wish that the young man might be capitally
punished--and this joined to the fact that Ussher had not been as
intimate at any other house as he had been at Brown Hall, could
leave no doubt on the mind of any one who had been present, that
Webb's allusion had been intended for him. His first impulse was to
challenge his foe at once; but his ardour on that point soon cooled a
little, and he came to the conclusion of sleeping on the matter, or,
at any rate, of drinking a b