by this. Immediately after breakfast the car
came round, and Feemy, afraid to wish her friends good bye too
affectionately lest suspicion should be raised, and promising to come
back again in a day or two, returned to Ballycloran.

Thady was out when she got there, but he was expected in to dinner.
Her father was glad to see her, and began assuring her that he would
do all in his power to protect her from the evil machinations of her
brother, and then again took his grog and his pipe. She went into the
kitchen, and summoning Biddy, desired her to follow her up to her
bedroom. When there, she carefully closed the door, and sitting down
on the bed, looked in her attendant's face and said,

"Biddy, if I told you a secret, you'd never betray me, would you?"

"Is it I, Miss Feemy, that's known you so long? in course I
wouldn't," and the girl pricked up her ears, and looked all anxiety.
"What is it, Miss?--Shure you know av you tould me to hould my
tongue, never a word I'd spake to any mortial about anything."

"I know you wouldn't, Biddy; that's why I'm going to tell you; but
you mustn't whisper it to Katty, for I think she'd be telling Thady."

"Niver fear, Miss; sorrow a word I'll whisper it to any one, at all
at all."

"Well, Biddy, did you hear Captain Ussher's going away from this
intirely?"

"What! away from Ballycloran?"

"No, but from Mohill, and from County Leitrim altogether. He's going
a long way off, to a place called Cashel."

"And what for is he going there, and you living here, Miss Feemy?"

"That's the secret, Biddy; I'm going with him."

"My! and is you married in sacret, Miss?" said the girl, coming
nearer to her mistress, and opening her eyes as wide as she could.

Feemy blushed up to the roots of her hair, and said, "No, we're not
married yet; we're to be married in Dublin; we couldn't be married
here you know, because Captain Ussher is a Protestant."

"Holy Mary! Miss, you're not a going to lave the ould religion;
you're not a going to turn Prothesthant, is you, Miss Feemy?"

"No, Biddy; why should I turn Protestant? but you see there's rasons
why we couldn't be married here; we're to be married in Dublin,
to-morrow."

"To-morrow!" ejaculated Biddy; "what, is you going to-night?"

"This very evening; and now I want you to help me, and when we're
settled, Biddy, if you like to lave this ould place, I mane you to
come and live with us."

"To be shure, Miss; and wouldn't I go the world