: he only offered me the farm if his sister should die.
But I knew what he meant; there was no mistaking it: I saw it in his
eye."

"And what did you do, Doctor Colligan, at the time?" said the parson.

"I hardly remember," said the doctor; "I was so flurried. But I know I
knocked him down, and then I rushed out of the room. I believe I
threatened I'd have him hung."

"But you did knock him down?"

"Oh, I did. He was sprawling on the ground when I left him."

"You're quite sure you knocked him down?" repeated the parson.

"The divil a doubt on earth about that!" replied Colligan. "I tell you,
when I left the room he was on his back among the chairs."

"And you did not hear a word from him since?"

"Not a word."

"Then there can't be any mistake about it, my lord," said Armstrong.
"If he did not feel that his life was in the doctor's hands, he would
not put up with being knocked down. And I'll tell you what's more--if
you tax him with the murder, he'll deny it and defy you; but tax him
with having been knocked down, and he'll swear his foot slipped, or
that he'd have done as much for the doctor if he hadn't run away. And
then ask him why the doctor knocked him down?--you'll have him on the
hip so."

"There's something in that," said Frank; "but the question is, what is
Doctor Colligan to do? He says he can't swear any information on which
a magistrate could commit him."

"Unless he does, my lord," said Armstrong, "I don't think you should
listen to him at all; at least, not as a magistrate."

"Well, Doctor Colligan, what do you say?"

"I don't know what to say, my lord. I came to your lordship for advice,
both as a magistrate and as a friend of the young man who is to marry
Lynch's sister. Of course, if you cannot advise me, I will go away
again."

"You won't come before me and Mr Brew, then?"

"I don't say I won't," said Colligan; "but I don't see the use. I'm not
able to prove anything."

"I'll tell you what, Ballindine," said the parson; "only I don't know
whether it mayn't be tampering with justice--suppose we were to go to
this hell-hound, you and I together, and, telling him what we know,
give him his option to stand his trial or quit the country? Take my
word for it, he'd go; and that would be the best way to be rid of him.
He'd leave his sister in peace and quiet then, to enjoy her fortune."

"That's true," said Frank; "and it would be a great thing to rid the
country of him. Do you remember