nes of disappointin' you an' your gang, when
you thought to take away the girl by force. You're well known too often
to carry a fair face when the heart under it is black wid you."

"All I can say is," observed young Reillaghan, "that if it comes out
agin you that you played him foul, all the earth won't save your life;
I'll have your heart's blood, if I should hang for it a thousand times."

This dialogue was frequently interrupted by the sobbings and clamor of
the women, and the detached conversation of some of the men, who
were communicating to each other their respective opinions upon the
melancholy event which had happened.

Darby More now brought Reillaghan's father aside, and thus addressed
him:--

"Gluntho! (* Listen)--to tell God's thruth, I've sthrong suspicions
that your son was murdhered. This sacred thing that I put the crass upon
people's breast wid, saves people from hangin' an' unnatural deaths.
Frank spoke to me last night, no longer ago, to come up an' mark it an'
him to-morrow. My opinion is, that he intinded to murdher him at that
time, an' wanted to have a protection agin what might happen to him in
regard o' the black deed."

"Can we prove it agin him?" inquired the disconsolate father: "I know
it'll be hard, as there was no one present but themselves; an' if he did
it, surely he'll not confess it."

"We may make him do it maybe," said the mendicant; "the villain's asily
frightened, an' fond o' charms an' pisthrogues,* an' sich holy things,
for all his wickedness. Don't say a word. We'll take him by, surprise;
I'll call upon him to touch the corpse. Make them women--an' och, it's
hard to expect it--make them stop clappin' their hands an' cryin'; an'
let there be a dead silence, if you can."

During this and some other observations made by Darby, Frank had got the
gun in his possession; and, whilst seeming to be engaged in looking at
it, and examining the lock, he actually contrived to reload it without
having been observed.

"Now, neighbors," said Darby, "hould your tongues for a weeshy start,
till I ax Frank M'Kenna a question or two. Frank M'Kenna, as you hope
to meet God, at Judgment, did you take his life that's lyin' a corpse
before us'?"

"I did not," replied M'Kenna; "I could clear myself on all the books
in Europe, that he met his death as I tould you; an' more nor that,"
he added, dropping upon his knees, and uncovering his head, "may I die
widout priest or prayer--widout help,