h! There--there, me darlin'," cried O'Connell, now thoroughly
alarmed at the depth of feeling the child had loosened from her pent-up
emotion, "ye mustn't cry--ye mustn't. See it's laughin' I am! Laughin',
that's what I'm doin'."

And he laughed loudly while his heart ached, and he told her stories
until she forgot her tears and laughed too. And that night as he
watched her fall off to sleep he knelt down in the straw and prayed:

"Oh, kape her always like she is now--always just a sweet, innocent,
pure little creature. Kape the mother in her always, dear Lord, so that
she may grow in Your likeness and join my poor, dear Angela in the end.
Amen."

Those were indeed glorious days for Peg. She never forgot them in after
life.

Waking in the freshness of the early morning, making their frugal
breakfast, feeding the faithful old horse and then starting off through
the emerald green for another new and wonderful day, to spread the
light of the "Cause."

O'Connell had changed very much since the days of St. Kernan's Hill. As
was foreshadowed earlier, he no longer urged violence. He had come
under the influence of the more temperate men of the party, and was
content to win by legislative means, what Ireland had failed to
accomplish wholly by conflict. Although no one recognised more
thoroughly than O'Connell what a large part the determined attitude of
the Irish party, in resisting the English laws, depriving them of the
right of free speech, and of meeting to spread light amongst the
ignorant, had played in wringing some measure of recognition and of
tolerance from the bitter narrowness of the English ministers.

What changed O'Connell more particularly was the action of a band of
so-called "Patriots" who operated in many parts of Ireland--maiming
cattle, ruining crops, injuring peaceable farmers, who did not do their
bidding and shooting at landlords and prominent people connected with
the government.

Crime is not a means to honourable victory and O'Connell was ashamed of
the miscreants who blackened the fair name of his country by their
ruthless and despicable methods.

He avoided the possibility of imprisonment again for the sake of Peg.
What would befall her if he were taken from her?

The continual thought that preyed upon him was that he would have
nothing to leave her when his call came. Do what he would he could make
but little money--and when he had a small surplus he would spend it on
Peg--a shawl to ke