own."

"Good God! squire," said McCloskey, his face growing pale at the prospect
of what was required of him, "you talk of murder as if it was mere play!"

"And still, _I never murdered any one_," rejoined Mr. Stevens,
significantly; "come, come--put your scruples in your pocket, and make up
your mind to go through with it like a man. When the thing is done, you
shall have five thousand dollars in hard cash, and you can go with it where
you please. Now, what do you think of that?"

"Ah, squire, the money's a great timptation! but it's an awful job."

"No worse than you did for nothing," replied Mr. Stevens.

"But that was in a fair fight, and in hot blood; it isn't like planning to
kill a man, squire."

"Do you call it a fair fight when you steal up behind a man, and break his
skull with a slung shot?" asked Mr. Stevens.

McCloskey was unable to answer this, and sat moodily regarding his tempter.

"Come, make up your mind to it--you might as well," resumed Mr. Stevens, in
a coaxing tone.

"Ye seem bent on not giving it up, and I suppose I'll have to do it,"
replied McCloskey, reluctantly; "but what has the man done to ye's, squire,
that you're so down upon him?"

"Oh, he is one of those infernal Abolitionists, and one of the very worst
kind; he lives with a nigger woman--and, what is more, he is married to
her!"

"Married to a nigger!" exclaimed McCloskey--"it's a quare taste the animal
has--but you're not afther killing him for that; there's something more
behind: it's not for having a black wife instead of a white one you'd be
afther murthering him--ye'll get no stuff like that down me."

"No, it is not for that alone, I acknowledge," rejoined Mr. Stevens, with
considerable embarrassment. "He insulted me some time ago, and I want to be
revenged upon him."

"It's a dear job to insult you, at that rate, squire; but where does he
live?"

"In my neighbourhood--in fact, next door to me," replied Mr. Stevens, with
an averted face.

"Howly Mother! not away up there--sure it's crazy ye are. What, away up
there in the city limits!--why, they would have the police and the sogers
at our heels in less than no time. Sure, you're out o' your sinses, to have
me go up there with a mob. No, no--there's too much risk--I can't try
that."

"I tell you there shall be no risk," impatiently replied Mr. Stevens. "It's
not to be done to-night, nor to-morrow night; and, when I say do it, you
_shall_ do it, and as safely the