r annoyed and persecuted by the scoundrel. The
fellow is so impudent that he will take no rebuff."

"By the way, father, where does M'Carthy stop, now that he is in
the country?" asked Alick, with some hesitation, and a brow a little
heightened in color.

"For the present," replied the other, "he stops with our friend,
O'Driscol, the new magistrate. Faith, it's a shove-up for O'Driscol to
get on the Bench. Halloo! there's M'Carthy's knock--I'm sure I know it."

The proctor was right; but notwithstanding his quickness and sagacity,
there was another individual in the room at that moment who recognized
it sooner than he did. Julia arose, and withdrew under some pretence
which we cannot now remember, but I really because she felt that had she
remained until M'Carthy's entrance, her blushes would have betrayed her.

"M'Carthy is a very handsome young-fellow," observed John--"would he
think of entering any pretensions to Katherine O'Driscol?"

"What d--d stuff you often talk, John--begging your pardon," replied his
brother; "he has hard reading, and his profession to think of--both of
which he will find enough for him, setting Katherine O'Driscol and love
out of the question."

"Very good, Alick," said John. "Ha! ha ha! I thought I would touch you
there. The bait took, my boy; jealousy, jealousy, father."

Alick, on finding that he was detected, forced himself into a confused
laugh, and, in the meantime, M'Carthy entered.

Nothing could surpass the cordiality of his reception. A holiday spirit
was obvious among the family--at least among all who were then visible.
Secretly, however, did his eye glance about in search of one, on whose
reception of him more depended than a thousand welcomes from all the
rest. In about twenty minutes Julia made her appearance, but to any
person in the secret, it was obvious that she was combating with much
inward, if not with some appearance of external confusion and restraint.
After the first greetings were over, however, she gradually recovered
her self-possession, and was able to join in the conversation without
embarrassment or difficulty.

CHAPTER III.--Mountain Legislation, and its Executive of Blood.

After dinner that day, and while the gentlemen were yet at table, Mary
and Julia, who, as we have said, had relieved their mother of those
benevolent attentions which she had been in the habit of paying to the
neighboring sick and poor, proceeded on their way to the cottag