ts to show old Gill's life's in danger; he is in
high fever to-day, and raving furiously, and if he should die, McEvoy
declares that they'll be able to send bills for manslaughter, at least,
before the grand-jury.'

'There's more of it!' cried Kilgobbin, with a long whistle. 'Is it Rogan
swears the fellow is in danger?'

'No, it's Tom Price, the dispensary doctor; and as Miss Betty withdrew her
subscription last year, they say he swore he'd pay her off for it.'

'I know Tom, and I'll see to that,' said Kearney. 'Are the affidavits
sworn?'

'No. They are drawn out; McEvoy is copying them now; but they'll be ready
by three o'clock.'

'I'll have Rogan to swear that the boy must be removed at once. We'll
take him over with us; and once at Kilgobbin, they'll want a regiment of
soldiers if they mean to take him. It is nigh twelve o'clock now, is it
not?'

'It is on the stroke of two, sir.'

'Is it possible? I believe I overslept myself in the strange bed. Be alive
now, Dick, and take the 2.40 train to town. Call on McKeown, and find out
where Miss Betty is stopping; break this business to her gently--for with
all that damnable temper, she has a fine womanly heart--tell her the poor
boy was not to blame at all: that he went over to see her, and knew nothing
of the place being let out or hired; and tell her, besides, that the
blackguards that beat him were not her own people at all, but villains from
another barony that old Gill brought over to work on short wages. Mind that
you say that, or we'll have more law, and more trouble--notices to quit,
and the devil knows what. I know Miss Betty well, and she'd not leave a man
on a town-land if they raised a finger against one of her name! There now,
you know what to do: go and do it!'

To hear the systematic and peremptory manner in which the old man detailed
all his directions, one would have pronounced him a model of orderly
arrangement and rule. Having despatched Dick to town, however, he began
to bethink him of all the matters on which he was desirous to learn Miss
O'Shea's mind. Had she really leased the Barn to this man Gill: and if so,
for what term? And was her quarrel with her nephew of so serious a nature
that she might hesitate as to taking his side here--at least, till she knew
he was in the right; and then, was he in the right? That was, though the
last, the most vital consideration of all.

'I'd have thought of all these if the boy had not flurried me so. The