interests lay, and by what little sacrifices they could
oftentimes secure a future benefit."

"That's thrue, every word of it. Your name is in every cabin, with a
blessing tacked to it. There's not a child does n't say a prayer for you
before he goes to sleep; and there's many a grown man never thought of
praying at all till he axed a blessing for yourself!"

"With that, too," resumed she, "was coupled power, for my Lord left much
to my management. I was able to help the deserving, to assist the
honest and industrious; now I aided this one to emigrate, now I could
contribute a little assistance of capital. In fact, Ned, I felt they
wanted me, and I knew I liked _them_. There was one good reason for not
going away. Then there were other reasons," said she, falteringly. "It
is not a good example to give to others to leave, no matter how humble,
the spot where we have a duty, to seek out a higher destiny. I speak as
a woman."

"And is it thrue, Miss Bella, that it's Mister Dunn has it all here
under his own hand,--that the Lord owns nothing only what Dunn allows
him, and that the whole place down to Kenmare River is Dunn's?"

"It is quite true, Ned, that the control and direction of all the great
works here are with Mr. Dunn. All the quarries and mines, the roads,
harbors, quays, 'bridges, docks, houses, are all in his hands."

"Blessed hour! and where does he get the money to do it all?" cried he,
in amazement.

Now, natural as was the question, and easy of reply as it seemed,
Sybella heard it with something almost like a shock. Had the thought not
occurred to her hundreds of times? And, if so, how had she answered
it? Of course there could be no difficulty in the reply; of course such
immense speculations, such gigantic projects as Mr. Dunn engaged in,
supplied wealth to any amount. But equally true was it, that they
demanded great means; they were costly achievements,--these great lines
of railroad, these vast harbors. Nor were they always successful; Mr.
Hankes himself had dropped hints about certain "mistakes" that were very
significant. The splendid word "Credit" would explain it all, doubtless,
but how interpret credit to the mind of the poor peasant? She tried to
illustrate it by the lock of a canal, in which the water is momentarily
utilized for a particular purpose, and then restored, unimpaired, to the
general circulation; but Ned unhappily damaged the imagery by remarking,
"But what's to be done if there