the young divil!" Dirty Dan murmured, and immediately left
the path, padding softly out into the grass in order that, when the
door of Caleb Brent's house should be opened, the light from within
might not shine forth and betray him. After traversing a dozen steps,
he lay down in the grass and set himself patiently to await the
reappearance of his quarry.

In response to several clearly audible knocks, the front door failed
to open, and Dirty Dan heard Don walk round the house to the back
door.

"The young divil!" he reiterated to himself. "Faith, whin the cat's
away the mice'll play, an' divil a worrd o' lie in that! Begorra, I'm
thinkin' the ould gintleman'd be scandalized could he know where his
darlin' bhoy is this minute--here, wait a minute Daniel, ye gossoon.
Maybe, 'tis for this I've been sint to watch the lad an' not for to
protect him. If it is, faith 'tis a job I'm not wishful for, shpyin'
on me own boss." He pondered the matter. Then: "Well, sorra wan o' me
knows. What if the young fella do be in love wit' her an' his father
have wind of it! Eh? What thin, Daniel? A scandal, that's what, an',
be the toe-nails o' Moses, nayther The Laird nor his son can afford
that. I'll take note o' what happens, but, be the same token, 'tis not
to Misther Daney I'll make me report, but to the ould man himself.
Sh--what's that?"

His ear being close to the ground, Dirty Dan had caught the sound of
slow, cautious footsteps advancing along the little path. He flattened
himself in the grass and listened, the while he hoped fervently that
those who walked the path (for he knew now there were more than one)
would not leave it as he had done and at the same point. Should they
inadvertently tread upon him, Dirty Dan felt that the honor of the
McKaye family and the maintenance of the secret of his present
employment would demand instant and furious battle--on suspicion.

The unknown pedestrians paused in the path.

"Ah done tol' you-all Ah'm right," Dirty Dan heard one of them say.

"Ha!" thought Dirty Dan. "A dirrty black naygur! I can tell be the
v'ice of him."

One of his companions grunted, and another said, in accents which the
astute Mr. O'Leary correctly judged to be those of a foreigner of some
sort:

"All right. W'en he's come out, we jumpa right here. Wha's matter,
eh?"

"Suits me," the negro replied. "Let's set down, an' fo' de Lawd's
sake, keep quite 'twell he come."

Dirty Dan heard them move off to the oth