ce of her than if it had
been only Sally herself that met him on the stairs.

XXXV. MR LYNCH BIDS FAREWELL TO DUNMORE

Poor Martin was dreadfully shocked; and not only shocked, but
grieved and astonished. He had never thought well of his intended
brother-in-law, but he had not judged him so severely as Mr Armstrong
had done. He listened to all Lord Ballindine said to him, and agreed as
to the propriety of the measures he proposed. But there was nothing of
elation about him at the downfall of the man whom he could not but look
on as his enemy: indeed, he was not only subdued and modest in his
demeanour, but he appeared so reserved that he could hardly be got to
express any interest in the steps which were to be taken respecting the
property. It was only when Lord Ballindine pointed out to him that it
was his duty to guard Anty's interests, that he would consent to go to
Dunmore House with them, and to state, when called upon to do so, what
measures he would wish to have adopted with regard to the property.

"Suppose he denies himself to us?" said Frank, as the four walked
across the street together, to the great astonishment of the whole
population.

"If he's in the house, I'll go bail we won't go away without seeing
him," said the parson. "Will he be at home, Kelly, do you think?"

"Indeed he will, Mr Armstrong," said Martin; "he'll be in bed and
asleep. He's never out of bed, I believe, much before one or two in the
day. It's a bad life he's leading since the ould man died."

"You may say that," said the doctor:--"cursing and drinking; drinking
and cursing; nothing else. You'll find him curse at you dreadful, Mr
Armstrong, I'm afraid."

"I can bear that, doctor; it's part of my own trade, you know; but I
think we'll find him quiet enough. I think you'll find the difficulty
is to make him speak at all. You'd better be spokesman, my lord, as
you're a magistrate."

"No, Armstrong, I will not. You're much more able, and more fitting: if
it's necessary for me to act as a magistrate, I'll do so--but at first
we'll leave him to you."

"Very well," said the parson; "and I'll do my best. But I'll tell you
what I am afraid of: if we find him in bed we must wait for him, and
when the servant tells him who we are, and mentions the doctor's name
along with yours, my lord, he'll guess what we're come about, and
he'll be out of the window, or into the cellar, and then there'd be
no catching him without the police.