ly. However see what comes by
not havin' a curb over one's passions when the blood's up."

"God's a just God," replied Hanlon--"the murderer deserves his
punishment, an' I hope will meet it."

"There is little doubt of it," said the pedlar, "the hand of God is in
it all."

"That's more than I see, or can at the present time, then," replied
Hanlon. "Why should my aunt stay away so long?--but I dare say the truth
is, she is either sick or dead, an' if that's the case, what's all you
have said or done worth? You see it's but a chance still."

"Trust in God," replied the pedlar, "that's all either of us can do or
say now. There's the coffin. I'm tould they're goin' to bury him, and to
have the greatest funeral that ever was in the counthry; but, God knows,
there's funerals enough in the neighborhood widout their making a show
of themselves wid this."

"There's no truth in that report either," said Hanlon. "I was speakin'
to Jerry Sullivan this mornin', an' I have it from him that they intend
to bury him as quietly as they can. He's much changed from what he
was--Jerry is--an' doesn't wish to have the old man hanged at all, if he
can prevent it."

"Hanged or not, Charley, I must go on with my petition to Dick o' the
Grange. Of course I have no chance, but maybe the Lord put something
good into Travers's heart, when he bid me bring it to him; at any rate
it can do no harm."

"Nor any earthly good," replied the other. "The farm is this minute the
property of Darby Skinadre, an' to my knowledge Master Dick has a good
hundred pounds in his pocket for befriendin' the meal-monger."

"Still an' all, Charley, I'll go to the father, if it was only bekaise
the agent wishes it; I promised I would, an' who knows at any rate but
he may do something for the poor Daltons himself, when he finds that the
villain that robbed and ruined them won't."

"So far you may be right," said Hanlon, "an' as you say, if it does
no good it can do no harm; but for my part, I can scarcely think of
anything but my poor aunt. What, in God's name, except sickness or
death, can keep her away, I don't know."

"Put your trust in God, man--that's my advice to you."

"And a good one it is," replied the other, "if we could only follow it
up as we ought. Every one here wondhers at the change that's come over
me--I that was so light and airy, and so fond of every divarsion that
was to be had, am now as grave as a parson; but indeed no wondher,
for ever s