eyes peeled all the time since then, your worship,
but I thought it wasn't f'r the likes of me to be after makin'
suggestions to y'r majesty, at all, at all."

"Who are you, and what are you, Pat?" she asked, smiling upon him.

"Sure, ma'am, it's nobody I am. I've never done anything worse than pick
a pocket untel a short time ago, when I had the misfortune to get mixed
up in a bit av a scrap--and the other feller didn't have the common
dacency to get on his feet ag'in when it was over. He jest stayed there,
so he did, and thinkin' that somebody would be axin' questions of me, I
lit out. Ye wouldn't know a thing more about me if I should talk for a
week--but, sure, if there's a question ye'd like to ax me, I'll be
afther answerin' it to the best of me ability, so I will."

"What brought you to me?"

"Me legs--no less; begging y'r pardon for mentionin' it. They weren't
purty to look at when Handsome stripped me--but we needn't mention that,
aither."

"But you came here in search of Hobo Harry."

"I did. That same."

"Who sent you here to find him?"

"Nobody. I had to go somewhere. I had been readin' the papers, and I
had seen a lot about Hobo Harry in 'em. All of the papers said that he
was to be found around here somewhere, and that the divil himself
couldn't catch him; and I says to mesilf, says I, sure that's the broth
av a boy ye want to find, Pat--and here I am, ma'am."

"Did you ever hear of Nick Carter?"

"I have that."

"Ever see him?"

"I did that."

"Would you know him, do you think, if you should see him again?"

"I would that. It isn't three weeks since I saw him wid these two eyes
as plain as I see y'r own beautiful face this minit. Sure, I'd know
him."

"Come this way, then."

She went into the adjoining room, and they followed. There she pulled
aside the rug again, and, having raised the trapdoor, descended, Patsy
and Handsome following close behind her.

The narrow steps took them into a spacious cellar, and, having passed
through a partition by opening a heavy oaken door, they entered what
appeared to be a prison room.

Nick Carter was there. He had recovered consciousness, and was seated on
a low stool against the wall. His arms were stretched wide apart, and
each was held in position by an iron chain on either side of him. A
ring of these chains had been passed around each wrist, and locked
there, and the chains were fastened to the stone walls by staples.

Madge stopped direc