dared to vote against him--a purpose in which he was
strongly supported, or into which, we should rather say, he was urged by
Fethertonge, who, in point of fact, now that the leases had dropped, was
negotiating a beneficial bargain with the gauger, apart from Chevydale's
knowledge, who was a feeble, weak-minded man, without experience or a
proper knowledge of his duties. In fact, he was one of,those persons
who, having no fixed character of their own, are either good or evil,
according to the principles of those by whom they happen for the time to
be managed. If Chevydale had been under the guidance of a sensible and
humane agent, he would have been a good landlord; but the fact being
otherwise, he was, in Fethertonge's hands, anything but what a landlord
ought to be. Be this as it may, the period of M'Mahon's illness passed
away, and, on rising from his sick bed, he found the charge of bribery
one of universal belief, against which scarcely any person had the
courage to raise a voice. Even Hycy suffered himself, as it were, with
great regret and reluctance, to become at length persuaded of its truth.
Kathleen, on hearing that he himself had been forced to admit it in the
chapel, felt that the gloom which had of late wrapped her in its
shadow now became so black and impervious that she could see
nothing distinctly. The two facts--that is to say, the vote and the
bribery--seemed to her like some frightful hallucination which lay upon
her spirits--some formidable illusion that haunted her night and day,
and filled her whole being with desolation and sorrow.

With respect to his own feelings, there was but one thought which gave
him concern, and this was an apprehension that Kathleen might be carried
away by the general prejudice which existed against him.

"I know Kathleen, however," he would say; "I know her truth, her good
sense, and her affection; and, whatever the world may say, she won't
follow its example and condemn me without a hearing. I will see her
tomorrow and explain all to her. Father," he added, "will you ask Dora
if she will walk with me to the Long-shot Meadow? I think a stroll round
it will do me good. I haven't altogether recovered my strength yet."

"To be sure I will go with you, Bryan," said the bright-eyed and
affectionate sister; "to be sure I will; it's on my way to Gerald
Cavanagh's; and I'm going down to see how they are, and to know if
something I heard about them is thrue. I want to satisfy