him, and then
doing the same thing to Mr Armstrong. He was a horrid figure: he had no
collar round his neck, and his handkerchief was put on in such a way
as to look like a hangman's knot: his face was blotched, and red, and
greasy, for he had neither shaved nor washed himself since his last
night's debauch; he had neither waistcoat nor braces on, and his
trousers fell on his hips; his long hair hung over his eyes, which were
bleared and bloodshot; he was suffering dreadfully from terror, and an
intense anxiety to shift the guilt from himself to Doctor Colligan. He
was a most pitiable object--so wretched, so unmanned, so low in the
scale of creation. Lord Ballindine did pity his misery, and suggested
to Mr Armstrong whether by any possibility there could be any mistake
in the matter--whether it was possible Doctor Colligan could have
mistaken Lynch's object?--The poor wretch jumped at this loop-hole, and
doubly condemned himself by doing so.

"He did, then," said Barry; "he must have done so. As I hope for
heaven, Lord Ballindine, I never had the idea of getting him to--to
do anything to Anty. I wouldn't have done it for worlds--indeed I
wouldn't. There must be some mistake, indeed there must. He'd been
drinking, Mr Armstrong--drinking a good deal that night--isn't that
true, Doctor Colligan? Come, man, speak the truth--don't go and try and
hang a fellow out of mistake! His lordship sees it's all a mistake, and
of course he's the best able to judge of the lot here; a magistrate,
and a nobleman and all. I know you won't see me wronged, Lord
Ballindine, I know you won't. I give you my sacred word of honour as a
gentleman, it all came from mistake when we were both drunk, or nearly
drunk. Come, Doctor Colligan, speak man--isn't that the truth? I tell
you, Mr Armstrong, Lord Ballindine's in the right of it. There is some
mistake in all this."

"As sure as the Lord's in heaven," said the doctor, now becoming a
little uneasy at the idea that Lord Ballindine should think he had told
so strange a story without proper foundation--"as sure as the Lord's in
heaven, he offered me the farm for a reward, should I manage to prevent
his sister's recovery."

"What do you think, Mr Armstrong?" said Lord Ballindine.

"Think!" said the parson--"There's no possibility of thinking at all.
The truth becomes clearer every moment. Why, you wretched creature,
it's not ten minutes since you yourself accused Doctor Colligan
of offering to mu