of the old man's exertions, and Feemy entered weary and worn,
soiled with the road, and pale and wan in spite of the hectic flush
which reddened a portion of her cheek.

"Father," she said when she saw the old man standing astonished and
stupified in the hall, "father, don't ye know me--won't ye spake to
me?"

"Why thin, Feemy, is it yer own self in arnest come back again?
And where's yer lover? the man ye married, ye know--what war his
name?--why don't ye tell me? Mary, what's the name of the Captain
Feemy married?"

"Asy, sir, asy; come in thin," and Mary led him into his own room,
and Feemy followed in silence with her eyes already filled with
tears.

"Where's yer own husband thin, Feemy dear? Ussher, I main--Captain
Ussher--it's he'd be welcome with you now, my pet," and he began
stroking his daughter's shoulders and back, for she had still her
bonnet on her head. "Thady's not here now to be brow-beating and
teasing him; it's we'll be comfortable now the cowld long nights--for
the Captain 'll be bringing the whiskey and the groceries with him,
won't he, darling? and Thady the blackguard's out along wid Keegan,
and they can't get in through the door, for it's always locked;" and
then turning to Mary, he said, "why don't you put the locks back, you
d----d jade? do you want them to be catching me the first moment I'm
seeing my own darling girl here?"

Feemy could not say a word to her father: his absolute idiotcy, and
the manner in which he referred to Ussher, quite upset her, and she
sat down and wept bitterly.

"What ails you, pet?" continued the old man, "what ails you, alanna?
they shan't touch him, dear--there, you see the big lock's closed
now; he'll be safe from Thady now, darling."

"Oh, Miss Feemy," said Mary, "he's quite beside himself; asy now,
sir, asy, and don't be talking such nonsense; don't ye know the
Captain got kilt--months ago--last October?"

"Killed--and who dared to kill my darling's husband? who'd dare to
touch him? why wasn't he here? why wasn't he inside the big lock?"

"Why, don't you know," and Mary gave the old man a violent shake
to refresh his memory; "don't you know Mr. Thady kilt him in the
avenue?"

"May his father's curse blisther him then! May--but I think they wor
telling me about that before. Eh, Feemy?" he continued, with a sigh,
"it's a bad time I've been having of it with this tipsy woman since
you were gone; she don't lave me a moment's pace from morning to
nigh