But Edith had refused altogether to look at the matter in that light.
"It was quite out of the question," she said, "and so Captain Clayton
would feel it. If you don't hold your tongue, Ada," she said, "I
shall think you're a brute."

But Ada had not held her tongue, and had declared that if no one else
were to know it--no one but Edith and the Captain himself--she would
not be made miserable by it.

"What is it?" she said. "I thought him the best and he is the best. I
thought that he thought that I was the best; and I wasn't. It shall
be as I say."

After this manner were the discussions held between them; but of
these Captain Clayton heard never a word.

When he came he would seem to be full of the flood gates, and of Lax
the murderer. He had two men with him now, Hunter and another. But
no further attempt was made to shoot him in the neighbourhood of
Headford. "Lax finds it too hot," he said, "since that day in the
court house, and has gone away for the present. I nearly know where
he is; but there is no good catching him till I get some sort of
evidence against him, and if I locked him up as a 'suspect,' he would
become a martyr and a hero in the eyes of the whole party. The worst
of it is that though twenty men swore that they had seen it, no
Galway jury would convict him." But nevertheless he was indefatigable
in following up the murderer of poor Florian. "As for the murder in
the court house," he said, "I do believe that though it was done in
the presence of an immense crowd no one actually saw it. I have the
pistol, but what is that? The pistol was dropped on the floor of the
court house."

On this occasion Edith brought him poor Peter's letter. As it
happened they two were then alone together. But she had taught
herself not to expect any allusion to his love. "He is a stupid
fellow," said the Captain.

"But he has been faithful. And you can't expect him to look at these
things as you do."

"Of course he finds it to be a great compliment. To have a special
letter addressed to him by some special Captain Moonlight is to bring
him into the history of his country."

"I suppose he will go."

"Then let him go. I would not on any account ask him to stay. If he
comes to me I shall tell him simply that he is a fool. Pat Carroll's
people want to bother your father, and he would be bothered if he
were to lose his man-servant. There is no doubt of that. If Peter
desires to bother him let him go. Then he has an