the name of Nell M'Collum to a livin'
mortal."

Meehaul Neil's cheek flushed with deep resentment on hearing this
disagreeable intelligence. For upwards of a century before there had
subsisted a deadly feud between the Neils and Lamh Laudhers, without
either party being able exactly to discover the original fact from
which their enmity proceeded. This, however, in Ireland, makes little
difference. It is quite sufficient to know that they meet and fight upon
every possible opportunity, as hostile factions ought to do, without
troubling themselves about the idle nonsense of inquiring why they
hate and maltreat each other. For this reason alone, Meehaul Neil was
bitterly opposed to the most distant notion of a marriage between his
sister and young Lamh Laudher. There were other motives also which
weighed, with nearly equal force, in the consideration of this subject.
His sister Ellen was by far the most beautiful girl of her station in
the whole country,--and many offers, highly advantageous, and far above
what she otherwise could have expected, had been made to her. On the
other hand, Lamh Laudher Oge was poor, and by no means qualified in
point of worldly circumstances to propose for her, even were hereditary
enmity out of the question. All things considered, the brother and
friends of Ellen would rather have seen her laid in her grave, than
allied to a comparatively poor young man, and their bitterest enemy.

Meehaul had but little doubt as to the truth of what Nell M'Collum told
him. There was a saucy and malignant confidence in her manner, which,
although it impressed him with a sense of her earnestness, left,
nevertheless, an indefinite feeling of dislike against her on his mind.
He knew that her motive for disclosure was not one of kindness or regard
for him or for his family. Nell M'Collum had often declared that "the
wide earth did not carry a bein' she liked or loved, but one--not even
excepting herself, that she hated most of all." This however was not
necessary to prove that she acted rather from the gratification of some
secret malice, than from the principle of benevolence. The venomous
leer of her eye, therefore, and an accurate knowledge of her character,
induced him to connect some apprehension of approaching evil with the
unpleasant information she had just given him.

"Well," said Meehaul, "if what you say is true, I'll make it a black
business to Lamh Laudher. I'll go directly and keep my eye on them;