aving left my country a boy, and
returning to it a man."

"You were in the service of France, then?"

"Yes; since 1801 I have been a soldier."

"So long? You must have been but a mere boy when you quitted Ireland.
How have they connected you with the troubles of that period?"

I hesitated for a second or two, uncertain what answer, if any, I
should return to this abrupt question. A glance at the manly and frank
expression of the stranger's face soon satisfied me that no unworthy
curiosity had prompted the inquiry; and I told him in a few words,
how, as a child, the opinions of the patriotic party had won me over to
embark in a cause I could neither fathom nor understand. I traced out
rapidly the few leading events of my early career down to the last
evening I spent in Ireland. When I came to this part of my story, the
stranger became unusually attentive, and more than once questioned
me respecting the origin of my quarrel with Crofts, and the timely
appearance of Darby; of whose name and character, however, I gave him no
information, merely speaking of him as an old and attached follower of
my family.

"Since that period, then, you have not been in Ireland?" said he, as I
concluded.

"Never: nor had I any intention of returning until lately, when
circumstances induced me to leave the Emperor's service; and from very
uncertainty I came back here, without well knowing why."

"Of course, then, you have never heard the catastrophe of your adventure
with Crofts. It was a lucky hit for him."

"How so? I don't understand you."

"Simply this: Crofts was discovered in the morning, severely wounded,
where you left him; his account being, that he had been waylaid by a
party of rebels, who had obtained the countersign of the night, and
passed the sentry in various disguises. You yourself--for so, at least,
I surmise it must have been--were designated the prime mover of the
scheme, and a Government reward was offered for your apprehension.
Crofts was knighted, and appointed to the staff,--the reward of
his loyalty and courage; of the exact details of which my memory is
unfortunately little tenacious."

"And the truth of the occurrence was never known?"

"What I have told you is the only version current. I have reason to
remember so much of it, for I was then, and am still, one of the legal
advisers of the Crown, and was consulted on the case; of which, I
confess, I always had my misgivings. There was a rage, however, f