son why such waiting should bring
reproaches upon his head. On the night of his arrival at his quarters he
despatched a note to his Kate.

Dearest love.

Here I am again in the land of freedom and potatoes. I need not
trouble you with writing about home news, as I shall see you the
day after to-morrow. All to-morrow and Wednesday morning I must
stick close to my guns here. After one on Wednesday I shall be
free. I will drive over to Lahinch, and come round in the boat.
I must come back here the same night, but I suppose it will be
the next morning before I get to bed. I sha'n't mind that if I
get something for my pains. My love to your mother. Your own,

F. N.

In accordance with this plan he did drive over to Lahinch. He might have
saved time by directing that his boat should come across the bay to meet
him at Liscannor, but he felt that he would prefer not to meet Father
Marty at present. It might be that before long he would be driven to
tell the priest a good deal, and to ask for the priest's assistance; but
at present he was not anxious to see Father Marty. Barney Morony was
waiting for him at the stable where he put up his horse, and went down
with him to the beach. The ladies, according to Barney, were quite well
and more winsome than ever. But,--and this information was not given
without much delay and great beating about the bush,--there was a
rumour about Liscannor that Captain O'Hara had "turned up." Fred was
so startled at this that he could not refrain from showing his anxiety
by the questions which he asked. Barney did not seem to think that the
Captain had been at Ardkill or anywhere in the neighbourhood. At any
rate he, Barney, had not seen him. He had just heard the rumour. "Shure,
Captain, I wouldn't be telling yer honour a lie; and they do be saying
that the Captain one time was as fine a man as a woman ever sot eyes
on;--and why not, seeing what kind the young lady is, God bless her!" If
it were true that Kate's father had "turned up," such an advent might
very naturally alter Neville's plans. It would so change the position of
things as to relieve him in some degree from the force of his past
promises.

Nevertheless when he saw Kate coming along the cliffs to meet him, the
one thing more certain to him than all other things was that he would
never abandon her. She had been watching for him almost from the hour at
which he had said that he would leave Ennis, an