the sun shone out on the reddened foliage, greatly changed in hue
since my first visit to Lough Mask. The half-dozen persons I met
appeared to be going about their daily work like good citizens; and a
casual visitor might, if he could have persuaded anybody to drive him
along the road to Lough Mask, have gone away convinced that the whole
story of wrong and outrage was the work of a distempered brain. The
isolated dwelling itself was by far the most gloomy object in the
landscape--grey and prison-like as most of the Irish houses of its
class.

Mr. Boycott's habitation has thoroughly the look of a place in which
crimes have been, or, as a native of these parts suggested, "ought to
be committed." Two dark figures of the Royal Irish Constabulary occupy
the front-door step, and others of the same keep watch and ward over
stables and ground. Nearly three weeks of painful excitement had made
but slight change in Mr. Boycott's family. His wife and daughter live
under circumstances which would drive many people mad, and the
combative land-agent and farmer himself maintains a belligerent
attitude, the grey head and slight spare figure bowed, but by no means
in submission. On the contrary, never was Mr. Boycott's attitude more
defiant. It is only by skilful subterfuge that he can get a shirt
washed for his outer, or a loaf of bread made for his inner man. The
underground routes which existed a fortnight ago are closed. In fact
"every earth is stopped," and the hunted man is driven to the open.
Not a soul will sell him sixpence-worth of anything. He cannot even
get a glass for his watch, for the watch-maker no more than anybody
else dare serve him. Every feature of his extraordinary situation
depicted in my first letter on "Disturbed Ireland" is exaggerated
almost to distortion.

Last evening the following letter was handed to him by the tenants of
Lord Erne:--"Kilmore. Nov. 10, 1880. C.C. Boycott, Esq. Sir,--In
accordance with the decision made in Lord Erne's last letter to us, we
want you to appoint a day to receive the rents.--THE TENANTS. A reply
requested."

Mr. Boycott's reply was that he was ready to receive the rents at ten
o'clock this morning, an hour after which time he received the
following notice:--"The tenants request an answer to the following
before they pay you the rent:--1st. Don't you wish you may get it?
2nd. When do you expect the Orangemen, and how are they to come? 3rd.
When are you going to hook it? L