a murdherer!--no one
to bring him to justice!"

Those present now gathered about him, and attempted as best they might,
to soothe and pacify him; but in vain.

"Oh," he proceeded, "if she was only able to upbraid me--but what am I
sayin'--upbraid! Oh, never, never was her harsh word heard--oh, nothing
ever to me but that long look of sorrow--that long look of sorrow, that
will either drive me mad, or lave me a broken heart! That's the look
that'll always, always be before me, an' that, 'till death's day, will
keep me from ever bein' a happy man."

He now became exhausted, and received a drink of water, after which he
wildly kissed her lips, and bathed her inanimate face, as well as those
of their infant, with tears.

"Now," said he, at length; "now, Peggy dear, listen--so may God never
prosper me, if I don't work bitther vengeance on them that along wid
myself, was the means of bringin' you to this--Dick-o'-the-Grange, an'
Darby Skinadre, for if Darby had given you what you wanted, you might
be yet a livin' woman. As for myself, I care not what becomes of me; you
are gone, our child is gone, and now I have nothing in this world that
I'll ever care for; there's nothing in it that I'll ever love again."

He then turned to leave the room, and was in the act of going out of it,
when her father, who had nearly recovered the use of his reason, said:

"Tom Dalton, you are lavin' this house, an' may the curse of that girl's
father, broken-hearted as you've left him, go along wid you."

"No," exclaimed his wife, "but may the blessin' of her mother rest upon
you for the sake of the love she bore you!"

"You've spoken late, Kathleen Murtagh," he replied; "the curse of the
father is on me, an' will folly me; I feel it."

His sister then entered the room to bring him home, whither he
accompanied her, scarcely conscious of what he did, and ignorant of the
cloud of vengeance which was so soon to break upon his wretched father's
head.

CHAPTER XIII. -- Sarah's Defence of a Murderer.

Our readers are not, perhaps, in general, aware that a most iniquitous
usage prevailed among Middlemen Landlords, whenever the leases under
which their property was held were near being expired. Indeed, as a
landed proprietor, the middleman's position differed most essentially
from that of the man who held his estate in fee. The interest of
the latter is one that extends beyond himself and his wants, and is
consequently transmitted to