coward, I'd
not a b'lieved them!"

"Faix, Misther Neil, who would, no more, than yourself?" they replied;
"devil the likes of it ever we seen! The young fellow that no man could
stand afore five minutes!"

"That is," replied others, "bekase he never met a man that would fight
him. You see when he did, how he has turned out. One thing any how is
clear enough--after this he can never rise his head while he lives."

CHAPTER III.

Meehaul now directed his steps homewards, literally stunned by the
unexpected cowardice of his enemy. On approaching his father's door, he
found Nell M'Collum seated on a stone bench, waiting his arrival.
The moment she espied him she sprang to her feet, and with her usual
eagerness of manner, caught the breast of his coat, and turning him
round towards the moonlight, looked eagerly into his face.

"Well," she inquired, "did he show his fire-arms? Well? What was done?"

"Somebody has been making a fool of you, Nell," replied Meehaul; "he
had neither fire-arms, nor staff, nor any thing else; an' for my part, I
might as well have left mine at home."

"Well, but, _douol_, man, what was done? Did you smash him? Did you
break his bones?"

"None of that, Nell, but worse; he's disgraced for ever. I struck him,
an' he refused to fight me; he hadn't a hand to raise.

"No! _Dher Chiernah_, he had not; an' he may thank Nell M'Collum for
that. I put the weakness over him. But I've not done wid him yet. I'll
make that family curse the day they crossed Nell M'Collum, if I should
go down for it. Not that I have any ill will to the boy himself, but the
father's heart's in him, an' that's the way, Meehaul, I'll punish the
man that was the means of lavin' me as I am."

"Nell, the devil's in your heart," replied Meehaul, "if ever he was in
mortal's. Lave me, woman: I can't bear your revengeful spirit, an' what
is more, I don't want you to interfere in this business, good, bad, or
indifferent. You bring about harm, Nell; but who has ever known you to
do good?"

"Ay! ay!" said the hag, "that's the cuckoo song to Nell; she does harm,
but never does good! Well, may my blackest curse wither the man that
left Nell to hear that, as the kindest word that's spoke either to her
or of her! I don't blame you. Meehaul--I blame nobody but him for it
all. Now a word of advice before you go in; don't let on to Ellen that
you know of her meetin' him this night;--an' reason good,--if she thinks
you're watchin' her