her oratory, to say her night prayers.

CHAPTER X.

THE WARNING.

One morning Mr. Stillinghast was sitting alone in his counting-room,
when Michael, the porter, came in, and informed him that a man wished
to speak to him.

"Tell him to come in," he replied, moodily.

"Here he is, sir," said Michael, returning in a few minutes with a man,
who had a saw slung over his arm.

"What is your business with me?" said Mr. Stillinghast.

"And didn't your honor sind afther me?"

"I never heard of you in my life before," he stormed.

"And then, sir, you may blame the _ommadhauns_ that sent me; for, by
this and by that, they tould me at the wood-yard, foreninst, that your
honor was inquiring for me," replied the man, slinging his saw up over
his shoulder.

"At the wood-yard? I remember; but it is too late, now--it makes no
difference," said Mr. Stillinghast, speaking slowly, and frowning.

"I'd have come before, only the day afther the young lady took me to
saw wood for the ould nagur, I got the pleurisy, and didn't lave my bed
these five weeks," said the man, lingering about the door.

"Come in here, and close the door," said Mr. Stillinghast, while his
stern, forbidding countenance wore a strange look of anxiety; "do you
remember the young lady; and can you direct me to the place where you
sawed the wood?"

"Oh, yes, your honor. I shall never forget her to my dying day. She
was a little, bright-eyed lady, with a smile of an angel on her, by
dad!"

"May," muttered the old man, "there is only one May. But I have a
reason," he said, turning to the man, "for wishing to see this old
woman; can you conduct me to the place?"

"I'm at your service intirely, sir. It's a good stretch, though," said
the man, who looked weak from his recent illness.

"Is it near an omnibus route?"

"Yes, your honor, it is close by where they stop. You'll not have to
walk far."

"Leave your saw here, then, and let us go. I have no time to spare on
walks," said Mr. Stillinghast, in his peremptory way. His real object,
however, was not so much to save time, as to afford the man an
opportunity to avoid a long and fatiguing walk. "Tell Mr. Jerrold I
will be back in the course of an hour," he said to Michael, as he
passed out.

"Very well," replied Michael, heaving, with Titan strength, a bale on
the truck; "and there goes a pair of 'em. My boss can afford to walk
with a poor wood-sawyer; he looks like one hisself, and it's