, and
thus he had the means of examining any letters which he thought it worth
his while to look into. Though such a thing might be impossible at the
present day, at that time it was easy of execution.

On one occasion when he was glancing over the letters, he found one, the
superscription of which he examined carefully. Taking it aside, he
broke it open.

"O, and so you recommend your mother to go and listen to the counsels of
the heretic minister. Is that your idea, Master Dermot?" he exclaimed
to himself. "We shall see how that is carried out. And you declare
your love to her; and you vow that, Heaven protecting you, you will
return, you trust, with wealth in your pockets, and that you will place
her above want; and you hope that she has accepted the faith which you
yourself now profess."

The priest literally ground his teeth with anger. "You warn her to
beware of one, your right and lawful spiritual adviser, do you? She
shall, at all events, remain faithful to the true Church. I will take
care she does not set eyes upon that heretic, Mr Jamieson. Well! well!
you think yourself clever at forming a plot; but I will soon show you
that I can counteract it. You tell her that you will write to Mr
Jamieson, do you? I will take care he does not get a letter either. Is
my authority thus to be set at defiance by a--well, no matter what you
are. I know more of your affairs than you do, or than your poor,
ignorant, half-witted mother does herself; though she is cunning enough
to hide away those documents which would, could I find them, place you
and her, and some other persons, too, entirely in my power. I'll find
them still, however, some day; but that English minister, by teaching
you to read, has made the management of the business far more difficult
than it would have been. However, I'll not be baulked. We see what
folly it is to let any but the priests and the wealthy classes to be
taught to read. They would be managed ten times more easily than they
will be in a short time, if this sort of thing goes on. Ah! I was
thinking of that, lad. You may be clever, Master Dermot, but I will
prove to you that there is one here cleverer than yourself. Did I know
where to write you, I would soon prove that; but, ere long, I doubt not
that another of your letters will come under my inspection, and then I
will quickly settle the matter."

Such were the thoughts--for they were not words--which passed through
th