de. To reveal the
suspicions which were tormenting me required that I should produce this
pocket-book, and to whom could I impart this man's secret? I thought of
your brother Dick, but he was from home, and even if he had not been, I
doubt if I should have told him. I should have come to you, Kate, but that
grand rebukeful tone you had taken up this last twenty-four hours repelled
me; and finally, I took counsel with myself. I set off just before Captain
Curtis started, to what you have called waylay him in the avenue.

'Just below the beech-copse he came up; and then that small flirtation of
the drawing-room, which has caused you so much anger and me such a sharp
lesson, stood me in good stead, and enabled me to arrest his progress by
some chance word or two, and at last so far to interest him that he got
down and walked along at my side. I shall not shock you by recalling the
little tender "nothings" that passed between us, nor dwell on the small
mockeries of sentiment which we exchanged--I hope very harmlessly--but
proceed at once to what I felt my object. He was profuse of his gratitude
for what I had done for him with Walpole, and firmly believed that my
intercession alone had saved him; and so I went on to say that the best
reparation he could make for his blunder would be some exercise of
well-directed activity when occasion should offer. "Suppose, for instance,"
said I, "you could capture this man Donogan?"

'"The very thing I hope to do," cried he. "The train is laid already. One
of my constables has a brother in a well-known house in Dublin, the members
of which, men of large wealth and good position, have long been suspected
of holding intercourse with the rebels. Through his brother, himself a
Fenian, this man has heard that a secret committee will meet at this place
on Monday evening next, at which Donogan will be present. Molloy,
another head-centre, will also be there, and Cummings, who escaped from
Carrickfergus." I took down all the names, Kate, the moment we parted, and
while they were fresh in my memory. "We'll draw the net on them all," said
he; "and such a haul has not been made since '98. The rewards alone will
amount to some thousands." It was then I said, "And is there no danger,
Harry? "'

'O Nina!'

'Yes, darling, it was very dreadful, and I felt it so; but somehow one is
carried away by a burst of feeling at certain moments, and the shame only
comes too late. Of course it was wrong of me to