r was
going to see. Having passed the Prophet, he turned to the left, by a
back path that led to the garden, where, in fact, Hanlon was generally
to be found, and where, upon this occasion, he found him. After a good
deal of desultory chat, Rody at last inquired if Hanlon thought there
existed any chance of his procuring the post of bailiff.

"I don't think there is, then, to tell you the truth," replied Hanlon;
"old Jemmy is against you bitterly, an' Masther Richard's interest in
this business isn't as strong as his."

"The blackguard ould villain!" exclaimed Rody; "it will be a good job to
give him a dog's knock some night or other."

"I don't see that either," replied Hanlon; "Ould Jemmy does a power of
good in his way; and indeed many an act of kindness the master himself
gets credit for that ought to go to Jemmy's account."

"But you can give me a lift in the drivership, Charley, if you like."

"I'm afeard not, so long as Jemmy's against you."

"Ay, but couldn't you thry and twist that ould scoundrel himself in my
favor?"

"Well," replied the other, "there is something in that, and whatever I
can do with him, I will, if you'll thry and do me a favor."

"Me! Name it, man--name it, and it's done, if it was only to rob the
Grange. Ha! ha! An' by the way, I dunna what puts robbin' the Grange
into my head!"

And, as he spoke, his eye was bent with an expression of peculiar
significance on Hanlon.

"No!" replied Hanlon with indifference; "it is not to rob the Grange. I
believe you know something about the man they call the Black Prophet?"

"Donnel Dhu? Why--ahem!--a little--not much. Nobody, indeed, knows or
cares much about him. However, like most people, he has his friends and
his enemies."

"Don't you remember a murdher that was committed here about
two-and-twenty-years ago?"

"I do."

"Was that before or afther the Black Prophet came to live in this
counthry?"

"Afther it--afther it. No, no!'" he replied, correcting himself; "I am
wrong; it was before he came here."

"Then he could have had no hand in it?"

"Him! Is it him! Why, what puts such a thing as that into your head'?"

"Faith, to tell you the truth, Rody, his daughter Sarah an' myself is
beginnin' to look at one another; an', to tell you the truth again, I'd
wish to know more about the same Prophet before I become his son-in-law,
as I have some notion of doin'."

"I hard indeed that you wor pullin' a string wid her, an' now that I
t