n't now at such a moment turn from your brother, who has
brought all this upon himself only to protect your honer and your
name."

Still Feemy did not turn her face towards him, or answer him.

"Well! I know what's on your heart, and may be it's as heavy as that
which is weighing on my own. I must say a word or two to the owld
man, that he may not larn from sthrangers what it is his son has
done; and then I must wish good-bye to Ballycloran--I trust for iver!
But there's one thing I'll ask you, Feemy, before I go. There 'll be
men from Carrick here before the night is over, looking for me; and
when they come, they'll be asking you all manner of questions about
this deed; tell them it was I that did it--but tell them how, and why
I did it; tell them that it was not my purpose to kill the man, but
that I could not see him dragging my sister from her house before my
eyes, without raising my stick against the man that was doing it;
that, Feemy, is all I want of you,"--and he turned to go, but when he
reached the door, he returned, and putting his hand on his sister's
shoulder, said--"Sister, my own sister, will you kiss me before I
lave you for so long?"

Feemy shuddered horribly as she felt his hand upon her. Thady quickly
withdrew it, for he saw it was all covered with blood; Feemy,
however, had seen it, for she screamed loudly--she had raised
her head to answer, and at last she said--"Kiss you! no; I hate
you--you're a murdherer; you've murdhered him because you knew I
loved him; go away--go out of that; you'll kill me too if you stand
there with his blood upon your hand!"

Thady, who had fallen on his knees to kiss his sister, now hastily
jumped upon his feet, and a dark frown came upon his brow. It was
just upon his lips to tell his sister to whose folly it was owing
that Myles Ussher was now a corpse; but before the words had left
his mouth he checked himself. Even then, at that saddest moment of
all, when the horrid word he so dreaded, had been applied to him by
the only person whom he really loved, he was able to restrain his
passion, and was too high-minded to add to the suffering of his
sister, though she was so unjust and cruel to him.

"God forgive you, Feemy," he said; "but that's a cruel word to
come from you!"--and he left the room. He met the two girls in the
passage, for Biddy had returned from Mrs. Mehan's, whither she had
gone after Ussher had passed, and she was now horrified to find
that her mist