od and true friend to Thomas O'Brien,
and I am grateful and proud to call you my friend; but I will not have
you for my niece. Mat's son may be good as gold--I have nothing to say
against the poor lad, who, after all, is my own flesh and blood; but it
would be a sin and shame to wed him, when his father picked oakum in a
felon's cell." Don't you think that will fetch her, sir? Women are
mostly proud, and like their menkind to have clean hands; and I'll say
it, too!' And here Mr. O'Brien thumped the arm of his chair so
emphatically, that Sam woke and uttered a reproachful mew.

'I hope you will not be put to the pain of saying this to her,'
returned. Michael, in a low voice.

What a fine old fellow this was! He wondered what Dr. Ross would say
when he repeated this speech to him. Nature must have intended Tom
O'Brien for a gentleman. Could anything be more touching than the way he
sought to shield his girl-friend, even putting aside the natural claims
of his own flesh and blood to prevent her from being sullied by any
contact with him and his?

Michael felt as though he longed to shake hands with him, and tell him
how he honoured and respected him; but he instinctively felt that any
such testimony would hardly be understood. One word he did venture to
say:

'I think it is very good of you to take our side.'

'Nay, sir, I can see nought of goodness in it. As my Susan used to say,
you should not praise people for walking along a straight road, and for
not taking the first crooked path that offers itself. Susan and I
thought alike there--we were neither of us fond of crooked turnings.
"There can only be one right and one wrong, Tom," as she would say; and
I hope, Captain, that I shall always tell the truth and shame the devil
as long as I am a living man.'

'I should think there would be no doubt of that,' returned Michael
heartily. And then a faint smile crossed the old man's face; but it
faded in a moment, as footsteps sounded in the passage outside.

'That is Mat; he has kept his word in coming back so soon. I had better
fetch him in, and then you'll get it over.'

'You need not leave the room, Mr. O'Brien; this is your business as well
as ours.'

'I know it, sir. But, thank you kindly, I feel as if I had said my say,
and that I may as well bide quiet with Prissy. Mat has had it all out
with me; we were up half the night talking. I always hoped I was a
Christian, Captain; but I doubt it when I think of the wor