a sight to see, came forward at that moment, led by
Handsome.

His hands were tied together behind his back, and he looked as if he had
been treated rather badly. However, there was a grin upon his face as he
approached, and ducked his head in what was intended to be a polite bow
to the queen of the outlaws.

"So you have come back again?" she demanded of him abruptly.

"Yes, I'm back, your honor--I mean, ma'am," he replied, grinning the
more.

"Where have you been while you were away, then? Tell me that?"

"Well, sure, your majesty, I was a-runnin' most of the time. When the
fire broke out down there, and the divil to pay generally, they all
thinkin' as how it was y'rsilf that was bein' burrnt to death inside the
cottage, I helped all I could until it was found out that it wasn't you,
at all, at all, but a dummy that had been fixed up to look like you. And
then when the hull bunch of the spalpeens went crazy and tried to find
out what had become of you, it wasn't long until I found out that I was
all alone in that place, the rest having gone in search of you. And
after that I thought it wasn't healthy for me around there."

"I think you're a spy, Pat," she said coldly.

"Divil a bit of it. Who says so? Don't you belave it!"

"Why did you not stay with the rest of the men, then?"

"Divil a wan of me can tell that same, now. I clean forget. I think I
was scared out of me two wits. If I had been a long time wid yez, instid
of bein' there only wan day, sure I'd have remained, so I would. But I'd
been there so little that I thought it wasn't healthy for me. That's
all."

"What made you come back now?"

"Sure I heard that ye'd escaped from your jailers, and I knowed that
you'd be after protecting me. Didn't you tell me that I was all right?
And, thinks I, if I can find 'em now, sure the quane will be after
takin' care of me; and here I am."

"When I heard that you had returned, I made up my mind to have you
shot!"

"Oh, glory be to gracious! Don't be after doin' that same, your honor!
Faith, why should ye be after shootin' the likes of me? I ain't done
nothin' at all."

Patsy, with a perfect assumption of fright, fell upon his knees before
the woman and raised his hands beseechingly to her.

And for a moment she looked down upon him with cold contempt in her
eyes. It was evident to Nick, who was watching the scene narrowly, that
she was coldly calculating the chances of letting him live, and that a
breath