We must make our way up into his
bed-room."

"I don't think we could well do that," said the doctor.

"No, Armstrong," said Lord Ballindine. "I don't think we ought to force
ourselves upstairs: we might as well tell all the servants what we'd
come about."

"And so we must," said Armstrong, "if it's necessary. The more
determined we are--in fact, the rougher we are with him, the more
likely we are to bring him on his knees. I tell you, you must have no
scruples in dealing with such a fellow; but leave him to me;" and so
saying, the parson gave a thundering rap at the hail door, and in about
one minute repeated it, which brought Biddy running to the door without
shoes or stockings, with her hair streaming behind her head, and, in
her hand, the comb with which she had been disentangling it.

"Is your master at home?" said Armstrong.

"Begorra, he is," said the girl out of breath. "That is, he's not up
yet, nor awake, yer honer," and she held the door in her hand, as
though this answer was final.

"But I want to see him on especial and immediate business," said the
parson, pushing back the door and the girl together, and walking into
the hall. "I must see him at once. Mr Lynch will excuse me: we've known
each other a long time."

"Begorra, I don't know," said the girl, "only he's in bed and fast.
Couldn't yer honer call agin about four or five o'clock? That's the
time the masther's most fittest to be talking to the likes of yer
honer."

"These gentlemen could not wait," said the parson.

"Shure the docther there, and Mr Martin, knows well enough I'm not
telling you a bit of a lie, Misther Armstrong," said the girl.

"I know you're not, my good girl; I know you're not telling a
lie;--but, nevertheless, I must see Mr Lynch. Just step up and wake
him, and tell him I'm waiting to say two words to him."

"Faix, yer honer, he's very bitther intirely, when he's waked this
early. But in course I'll be led by yer honers. I'll say then, that the
lord, and Parson Armstrong, and the docther, and Mr Martin, is waiting
to spake two words to him. Is that it?"

"That'll do as well as anything," said Armstrong; and then, when the
girl went upstairs, he continued, "You see she knew us all, and of
course will tell him who we are; but I'll not let him escape, for I'll
go up with her," and, as the girl slowly opened her master's bed-room
door, Mr Armstrong stood close outside it in the passage.

After considerable efforts, Bid