e either that cares to show my learning before people who are
unable to tell a mile-post from a church-tower."

"I be awaiting," said Jem Bottles with a new meekness apparently born
of respect for Paddy's eloquence.

"Well, then," said Paddy, pained at these interruptions. "Listen well,
and maybe you will gain some learning which may serve you all your
life in reading chalk-marks in taprooms; for I see that they have that
custom in this country, and 'tis very bad for hard-drinking men who
have no learning."

"If you would read from the paper--" began Jem Bottles.

"Now, will you be still?" cried Paddy in vast exasperation.

But here Jem Bottles spoke with angry resolution. "Come, now! Read!
'Tis not me that talks too much, and the day wanes."

"Well, well, I would not be hurried, and that's the truth," said Paddy
soothingly. "Listen now." I heard a rustling of paper. "Ahem!" said
Paddy, "Ahem! Are ye listening, Jem Bottles?"

"I be," replied the highwayman.

"Ahem!" said Paddy. "Ahem! Are ye listening, Jem Bottles?"

"I be," replied the highwayman.

"Then here's for it," said Paddy in a formidable voice. There was
another rustling of paper. Then to my surprise I heard Paddy intone,
without punctuation, the following words:

"Dear Sister Mary I am asking the good father to write this
because my hand is lame from milking the cows although we
only have one and we sold her in the autumn the four
shillings you owe on the pig we would like if convenient to
pay now owing to the landlord may the plague take him how
did your Mickey find the fishing when you see Peggy tell
her--"

Here Jem Bottles's voice arose in tones of incredulity.

"And these be the papers of the great Earl!" he cried.

Then the truth flashed across my vision like the lightning. My two
madmen had robbed the carriage of the Earl of Westport, and had taken,
among other things, the Earl's papers--my papers--Lady Mary's papers.
I strode around the haycock.

"Wretches!" I shouted. "Miserable wretches!"

For a time they were speechless. Paddy found his tongue first.

"Aye, 'tis him! 'Tis nothing but little black men and papers with him,
and when we get them for him he calls us out of our names in a foreign
tongue. 'Tis no service for a bright man," he concluded mournfully.

"Give me the papers," said I.

Paddy obediently handed them. I knew them. They were my papers--Lady
Mary's papers.

"And now," said