covered with blood, and lay seemingly dead. When his
party retreated, however, he summoned strength to creep under shelter of
a ditch, and lay there till near daybreak, when he was found by another
gang of the rebel faction, who knew nothing of the circumstances of his
wound, and carried him away to a place of safety.

For some months he lay dangerously ill. Hectic fever, consequent on long
suffering, brought him to the very brink of the grave; and at last he
managed by stealth to reach Dublin, where a doctor well known to
the party resided, and under whose care he ultimately recovered, and
succeeded at last in taking a passage to America. Meanwhile his death
was currently believed, and Crofts was everywhere recognized as the heir
to the fortune.

Mulcahy, of whom it is necessary to speak a few words, was soon after
apprehended on a charge of rebellion, and sentenced to transportation.
He appealed to many who had known him, as he said, in better times,
to speak to his character. Among others, Captain Crofts--so he then
was--was summoned. His evidence, however, was rather injurious than
favorable to the prisoner; and although not in any way influencing the
sentence, was believed by the populace to have mainly contributed to its
severity.

Such was, in substance, the singular story which was now told before the
court,--told without any effort at concealment or reserve; and to the
proof of which M'Keown was willing to proceed at once.

"This, my lord," said Darby, as he concluded, "is a good time and place
to give back to Mr. Crofts a trifling article I took from him the night
at the barracks. I thought it was the bank-notes I was getting; but it
turned out better, after all."

With that he produced a strong black leather pocket-book, fastened by a
steel clasp. No sooner did Crofts behold it, than, with the spring of a
tiger, he leaped forward and endeavored to clutch it. But Darby was on
his guard, and immediately drew back his hand, calling out,--

"No, no, sir! I didn't keep it by me eight long years to give it up that
way. There, my lords," said he, as he handed it to the bench, "there's
his pocket-book, with plenty of notes in it from many a one well
known,--Maurice Mulcahy among the rest,--and you'll soon see who it was
first tempted Fortescue to ruin, and who paid the money for doing it."

A burst of horror and astonishment broke from the assembled crowd as
Darby spoke.

Then, in a loud, determined tone, "