n every sense culpable, and he then could not but look on
himself as a murderer flying from justice; but now he had learned
to see what was really criminal in what he had done, and what was
venial; and though the last five months had been spent in prison,
and though he felt by no means sanguine of his acquittal, he had,
nevertheless, never regretted that he had given himself up.

Father John had again to-day seen Mr. O'Malley, who now that he had
the affair thoroughly at his fingers' ends, seemed to be almost
sanguine of success, and consequently the good priest himself was
correspondingly elated.

"I trust in God, Thady," said he, "I confidently trust you will be
with me at the Cottage to-morrow night, or at any rate the next. The
Cottage shall be your home for some time, my boy, if they allow you
any home in the country. I don't want to give you false hopes, but I
don't think any jury can convict you. I'm sure Mr. O'Malley thinks so
too."

"I don't think so, Father John; it may be so, but I don't think so;
it's a comfort to me to know I never meant his death, although he was
doing what might have tempted me to shoot him, av I'd had a pistol in
my hand; for as I sit here he was dragging her down the avenue by the
waist. But I never thought to kill him, and though I think they will
hang me, I feel that I haven't the weight of murdher on my hands."

"You haven't, Thady; indeed you may say you haven't. I that should
teach you to repent your sins, not to hide them from your own heart,
tell you that you haven't. But should they condemn you, there are
those that will have. But God forbid--may God in his great mercy
forbid it."

"But, Father John, what'll Feemy do? what will the owld man do when
I am--when I'm gone? Keegan 'll have all now. She'll be turned out to
beg across the world; and what'll ever become of her?"

"Your father'll be cared for, Thady. Though no one else should see to
him, I will, for your sake. He's very infirm; you'll be astonished
when you see him; but while he lives and while I have a bit of bread
to share with him, or a roof to shelter him, for your sake, he shall
never want it."

Thady pressed the priest's hand between his own.

"What a thing it is to have a friend like you! but Feemy--who'll
provide for Feemy? she'll be the only one left of the name when I'm
gone; there'll be nothing left but her; house and family 'll be gone
then, and except for poor Feemy, there'd be an end of the whole