, whether I'd have strength or courage to do so, but
I know one who would."

"I know too--Kathleen."

"Kathleen? you have said it. She would, I am certain, lay down her
life for either her religion or the welfare of her country, if such a
sacrifice could be necessary."

"Bryan, I have heard a thing about her, and I don't know whether I ought
to tell it to you or not."

"I lave that to your own discretion, Dora; but you haven't heard, nor
can you tell me anything, but what must be to her credit."

"I'll tell you, then; I heard it, but I won't believe it till I satisfy
myself--that your family daren't name your name to her at home, and that
everything is to be over between you. Now, I'm on my way there to know
whether this is true or not; if it is, I'll think less of her than I
ever did."

"And I won't Dora; but will think more highly of her still. She thinks
I'm as bad as I'm reported to be."

"And that's just what she ought not to think. Why not see you and ask
you the raison of it like a--ha! ha!--I was goin' to say like a man?
Sure if she was as generous as she ought to be, she'd call upon you to
explain yourself; or, at any rate, she'd defend you behind your back,
and, when the world's against you, whether you wor right or wrong."

"She'd do nothing at the expense of truth," replied her brother.

"Truth!" exclaimed the lively and generous girl, now catching the warmth
from her own enthusiasm, "truth! who'd regard truth--"

"Dora!" exclaimed Bryan, with a seriocomic smile.

"Ha! ha! ha!--truth! what was I sayin'? No, I didn't mean to say
anything against truth; oh, no, God forgive me!" she added, immediately
softening, whilst her bright and beautiful eyes filled with tears, "oh,
no, nor against my darlin' Kathleen either; for, Bryan, I'm tould that
she has never smiled since; and that the color that left her cheeks when
she heard of your vote has never come back to it; and that, in short,
her heart is broken. However, I'll soon see her, and maybe I won't plade
your cause; no lawyer could match me. Whisht!" she exclaimed, "isn't
that Gerald himself comin' over to us?"

"It is," replied Bryan, "let us meet him;" and, as he spoke, they turned
their steps towards him. As they met, Bryan, forgetting everything that
had occurred, and influenced solely by the habit of former friendship
and good feeling, extended his hand with an intention of clasping that
of his old acquaintance, but the latter withdrew, and re