said Kathleen; "what is it?"

"Here's Peety Dhu's daughter, an' she says she has something to say to
you."

"An' so Rosha Burke," said Mrs. Cavanagh, "has taken her to live wid
them; I hope it'll turn out well for the poor thing."

"Will you come out, Kathleen," said Hanna, again peeping in; "she
mustn't tell it to anyone but yourself."

"If she doesn't she may keep it, then," replied Kathleen. "Tell her I
have no secrets," she added, "nor I won't have any of her keeping."

"You must go in," said Hanna, turning aside and addressing the
girl--"you must go in an' spake to her in the house."

"She can tell us all about the robbery, anyway," observed Mr. Cavanagh.
"Come in, a-colleen--what are you afeard of?"

"I have a word to say to her," said the girl--"a message to deliver; but
it must be to nobody but herself. Whisper," she proceeded, approaching
Kathleen, and about to address her.

Kathleen immediately rose, and, looking on the messenger, said, "Who is
it from, Nanny?"

"I mustn't let _them_ know," replied the girl, looking at the rest.

"Whatever it is, Or whoever it's from, you must spake it out then,
Nanny," continued Kathleen.

"It's from Hycy Burke, then," replied the girl; "he wants to know if you
have any answer for him?"

"Tell Hycy Burke," replied Kathleen, "that I have no answer for him; an'
that I'll thank him to send me no more messages."

"Hut tut! you foolish girl," exclaimed her mother, rising up and
approaching her daughter; "are you mad, Kathleen?"

"What's come over you," said the father, equally alarmed; "are you
beside yourself, sure enough, to send Hycy Burke sich a message as
that? Sit down, ma colleen, sit down, an' never mind her--don't think of
bringin' him back sich a message. Why, then," he added, "in the name o'
mercy, Kathleen, what has come over you, to trate a respectable young
man like. Hycy Burke in that style?"

"Simply, father, because I don't wish to receive any messages at all
from him."

"But your mother an' I is of a different opinion, Kathleen. We wish you
to resave messages from him; an' you know you're bound both by the laws
of God an' man to obey us an' be guided by us."

"I know I am, father," she replied; "an' I hope I haven't been an
undutiful child to either of you for so far."

"That's true, Kathleen--God sees it's truth itself."

"What message do you expect to bring back, Nanny?" said the mother,
addressing the girl.

"An answer," replied the g