w days generally cools down the ferment occasioned
by matters of this kind, especially when public curiosity is found to be
at fault in developing the whole train of circumstances connected with
them. All the in-door servants, it is true, were rigorously examined,
yet it somehow happened that Hycy could not divest himself of a
suspicion that Nanny Peety was in some way privy to the disappearance
of the money. In about three or four days he happened to see her thrust
something into her father's bag, which he carried as a mendicant, and he
could not avoid remarking that there was in her whole manner, which was
furtive and hurried, an obvious consciousness of something that was not
right. He resolved, however, to follow up the impression which he
felt, and accordingly in a few minutes after her father had taken his
departure, he brought her aside, and without giving her a moment to
concoct a reply, he asked what it was that he saw her thrusting in such
a hurried manner into his bag. She reddened like scarlet, and, after
pausing a moment, replied, "Nothing, sir, but an ould pair of shoes."

"Was that all?" he asked.

"That was all, sir," she replied.

The blush and hesitation, however, with which she answered him were
far from satisfactory; and without more ado he walked briskly down the
avenue, and overtook her father near the gate at its entrance.

"Peety," said he, "what was that your daughter Nanny put into your bag a
while ago? I wish to know?"

"Deed an its scarcely worth your while, Master Hycy," replied the
mendicant; "but since you'd like to know, it was a pair of ould brogues,
and here they are," he added, "if you wish to see them."

He laid down the bag as he spoke, and was proceeding to pull them out,
when Hycy, who felt angry with himself as well as ashamed at being
detected in such a beggarly and unbecoming act of espionage, turned
instantly back, after having vented several hearty curses upon the
unfortunate mendicant and his bags.

As he approached the hall-door, however, he met Nanny crossing into the
kitchen-yard, and from the timid and hesitating glance she cast at
him, some vague suspicion again occurred, and he resolved to enter into
further conversation with her. It struck him that she had been watching
his interview with her father, and could not avoid yielding to the
impression which had returned so strongly upon him.

"I saw your father, Nanny," he said, in as significant and dry a tone as