as made the
stalking-horse, not only of power, but of persecution, rapacity, and
selfishness, and the unfortunate Roman Catholic who considered himself
safe to-day might find himself ruined tomorrow, owing to the cupidity
of some man who turned a lustful eye upon his property, or who may have
entertained a feeling of personal ill-will against him. Be this as it
may, Reilly wended his melancholy way homewards, and had got within less
than a quarter of a mile of his own house when he was met by Fergus in
his mendicant habit, who startled him by the information he disclosed.

"Where are you bound for, Mr. Reilly?" said the latter.

"For home," replied Reilly, "in order to secure my money and the papers
connected with the family property."

"Well, then," said the other, "if you go home now you are a lost man."

"How is that?" asked Reilly.

"Your house at this moment is filled with sogers, and surrounded by them
too. You know that no human being could make me out in this disguise;
I had heard that they were on their way to your place, and afeered that
they might catch you at home, I was goin' to let you know, in ordher
that you might escape them, but I was too late; the villains were there
before me. I took heart o' grace, however, and went up to beg a little
charity for the love and honor of God. Seem' the kind of creature I was,
they took no notice of me; for to tell you the truth, they were too much
bent on searchin' for, and findin' you. God protect us from such men,
Mr. Reilly," and the name he uttered in alow and cautious voice; "but
at all events this is no country for you to live in now. But who do you
think was the busiest and the bittherest man among them?"

"Why Whitecraft, I suppose."

"No; he wasn't there himself--no; but that double distilled traitor and
villain, the Red Rapparee, and bad luck to him. You see, then, that if
you attempt to go near your own house you're a lost man, as I said."

"I feel the truth of what you say," replied Reilly, "but are you aware
that they committed any acts of violence? Are you aware that they
disturbed my property or ransacked my house?"

"Well, that's more than I can say," replied Fergus, "for to tell you the
truth, I was afraid to trust myself inside, in regard of that scoundrel
the Rapparee, who, bein' himself accustomed to all sorts of disguises, I
dreaded might find me out."

"Well, at all events," said Reilly, "with respect to that I disregard
them. The famil