my head
on my pillow and know that that poor victim of your wicked scheming is
in the road."

The throbbing and breaking of the old priest's voice had compelled me to
drop my head, and it was not until I heard the sneck of the lock of the
outer door that I realised that, overcome by his emotion, he had fled
from the house.

"And now I guess you can follow your friend," said Daniel O'Neill.

"Not yet, sir," I answered; "I have something to say first."

"Well, well, what is it, please?" said the lawyer sharply and
insolently, looking to where I was standing with folded arms at one side
of the hearth-place.

"You'll hear soon enough, Master Curphy," I answered.

Then, turning back to Daniel O'Neill, I told him what rumour had reached
my dear one of his intentions with regard to her child, and asked him to
say whether there was any truth in it.

"Answer the man, Curphy," said Daniel O'Neill, and thereupon the lawyer,
with almost equal insolence, turned to me and said:

"What is it you wish to know, sir?"

"Whether, if Mary O'Neill is unable from any cause to keep control of
her child (which God forbid!), her father intends to take possession of
it."

"Why shouldn't he? If the mother dies, for instance, her father will be
the child's legal guardian."

"But if by that time the father is dead too--what then?"

"Then the control of the child will--with the consent of the
court--devolve upon his heir and representative."

"Meaning this lady?" I asked, pointing to the woman MacLeod, who was now
standing at the back of Daniel O'Neill's chair.

"Possibly."

"And what will she do with it?"

"Do with it?"

The lawyer was running his fingers through his long beard and trying to
look perplexed.

"Mr. Curphy, I'll ask you not to pretend to be unable to understand me.
If and when this lady gets possession of Mary O'Neill's child, what is
she going to do with it?"

"Very well," said the advocate, seeing I meant business, "since my
client permits me to speak, I'll tell you plainly. Whatever the child's
actual parentage . . . perhaps you know best. . . ."

"Go on, sir."

"Whatever the child's parentage, it was born in wedlock. Even the
recent divorce proceedings have not disturbed that. Therefore we hold
that the child has a right to the inheritance which in due time should
come to Mary O'Neill's offspring by the terms of the settlement upon her
husband."

It was just as I expected, and every drop of my blood