ing at
Ballycloran but what was supplied by the charity of those who pitied
them in their misfortunes; and among other things she brought two or
three volumes from the library. She was very kind to her, and did and
said all in her power that could in any way console the poor girl.
Though Father John had been gentle in his manners and had endeavoured
to abstain from saying anything hard, still Mrs. McKeon was more
successful in her way of explaining to Feemy what it was that she
would have to do. She promised, moreover, to come to Ballycloran and
fetch her, and to remain with her and support her during the whole of
the painful time that she would either be in the court itself, or
waiting in the neighbourhood till she should be called on to give her
evidence. She did not allude either to the manner in which Feemy had
left Drumsna, or to the suspicions which she had formerly expressed.
Her whole object now was to relieve as much as possible the
despondency and misery so plainly pictured in the poor girl's face.
As she put her arm round her neck and kissed her lips, Feemy's heart
yearned towards her new-found friend with a kind of tenderness she
had never before felt. It was as though she for once experienced a
mother's solicitude for her in her sorrows, and she longed to throw
herself on her knees, hide her face in her friend's lap, and confess
it all. Had she been alone with her she would have done so; but there
sat Louey in the same room, and though her conduct to Feemy had been
everything that was kind, she felt that it was not as if she had been
absolutely alone with her mother. She could not at the same time
confess her disgrace to two.

Mrs. McKeon went away, after having strongly implored Feemy to return
with her to Drumsna, and remain there till the trial was over. But
this she absolutely refused to do--and at last it was settled that
Mrs. McKeon should come for her on the morning on which the trial
was to come on, and that she should hold herself ready to attend on
any day that she might be called for after the commencement of the
assizes.

The time now wore quickly on. When Mrs. McKeon called it had only
wanted a fortnight to the first day on which the trial could take
place; and as it quickly slipped away, day by day, to that bourn from
which no day returns, poor Feemy's sorrow and agonies became in every
way more acute. At last, on the Wednesday,--the day before that on
which she was to be, or at any rate, m