see and speak with him, I'd soon convince him
that he incurred no risk himself. It's a bad sportsman shoots his decoy
duck, Lanty," and he pinched his cheek good-humouredly as he spoke.
Lanty endeavoured to laugh, but the effort was a feeble one. Meanwhile,
the host, now summoned for the second time, made his appearance, and by
Hemsworth's orders, the car was brought round to the door; for, severe
as the night was, he determined to return to the city.

"You are coming back to town, too, Lanty?" said he, in a tone of
inquiry.

"No, sir; I'm going to stop here with Billy, if your honour has no
objection?"

"None whatever. Remember to let me see you on Tuesday, when I shall have
every thing in readiness for your journey south--till then, good
bye;" so saying, and handing Corcoran two guineas in gold, for he paid
liberally, Hemsworth mounted the car, and drove off.

Lanty looked after him, till the darkness shut out the view, and then
buttoning his rough coat tightly around his throat, set out himself
towards town, muttering as he went--"I wish it was the last I was ever
to see of you."

CHAPTER XXXI. SOME HINTS ABOUT HARRY TALBOT.

We must beg of our reader to retrace his steps once more to the
valley of Glenflesk, but only for a fleeting moment. When last we left
Carrig-na-curra it was at night, the party were at supper in the old
tower, and Kerry stood outside, rehearsing to himself for the tenth time
the manner in which he should open his communication. The sound of
Mark's voice, raised above its ordinary pitch, warned him that his
mission might not be without danger, if perchance any thing on his part
might offend the youth. None knew better than Kerry the violent temper
of the young O'Donoghue, and how little restraint he ever put upon any
scheme he thought of to vent his humour on him who crossed him. It was
an account of debtor and creditor then with him, how he should act; on
the one side lay the penalties, on the other the rewards of his
venture--how was he to escape the one and secure the other? A moment's
reflection suggested the plan.

"I'll not go in, divil a step, but I'll tell I was convarsin' with them
this half hour, and that the rope and the bit of lead is a new way they
do have for catching mermaids and other faymale fishes in the Bay;
and sure if I only say that there's an act of Parlimint agin doin' it,
she'll not only believe it all, but she'll keep the saycret to her dying
bed;" and w