daughter, who were sick.

The very minions of the law felt for him; and the chief of them said, in
a voice of kindness and compassion:

"It's a distressin' case; but if you'll be guided by me, you won't say
anything that may be brought against yourself. I was never engaged,"
said he, looking towards Darby and Sarah, to whom he partly addressed
his discourse, "in anything so painful as this. A man of his age, now
afther so many years! However--well--it can't be helped; we must do our
duty."

"Where is the rest of your family?" asked another of them; "is this
young woman a daughter of yours?"

"Not at all," replied a third; "this is a daughter of the Black Prophet
himself; and, by japers, you hardened gipsey, it's a little too bad for
you to come to see how your blasted ould father's work gets on. It's his
evidence that's bringin' this dacent ould man from his family to a gaol,
this miserable evenin'. Be off out o' this, I desire you; I wondher
you're not ashamed to be present here, above all places in the world,
you brazen devil."

Sarah's whole soul, however, in all its best and noblest sympathies, had
passed into and mingled with the scene of unparalleled misery which was
then before her. She went rapidly to the bed in which young Con was I
stretched; stooped down, and looking closely at him, perceived that he
was in a broken and painful slumber. She then passed to that in which
his sister lay, and saw that she was also asleep. After a glance at
each, she rubbed her hands with a kind of wild satisfaction, and going
up to old Dalton, exclaimed--for she had not heard a syllable of the
language used towards her by the officer of justice--

"Ay," said she, laying her hand upon his white hairs; "you are to be
pitied this night, poor ould man; but which of you, oh, which of you
is to be pitied most, you or them! an' your wife, too; an' your other
daughter, an' your other son, too; but he's past under-standin' it;
oh, what will they do? At your age, too--at your age! Oh, couldn't you
die?--couldn't you contrive, someway, to die?--couldn't you give one
great struggle, an' then break your heart at wanst, an' forever!"

These words were uttered rapidly, but in a low and cautious voice, for
she still feared to awaken those who slept.

The old man had also been absorbed in, his own misery; for he looked
at her inquiringly, and only replied, "Poor girl, what is it you're
saying?"

"I'm biddin' you to die," she replied,