xpect that you shall absolutely believe in me.
Send you a kiss! Of course I do; I am not at all coy of my
favours. You ask Mahomet also as to what he thinks of the
strength of my right arm. I examined his face so minutely
when I had to fall into his arms on the stage, and there I
saw the round mark of my fist, and the swelling all round
it. And I thought to myself as I was singing my devotion
that he should have it next time in his eye. But, Frank,
mark my words: I won't have you here till you can come to
marry me.

Frank did not go over, even on this occasion, as he was detained, not
only by his mistress's danger, but by his father's troubles. Florian
had almost, but had not quite, told the entire truth. He had said
that he had seen the sluices broken, but had not quite owned who had
broken them. He had declared that Pat Carroll had done "mischief,"
but had not quite said of what nature was the mischief which Carroll
had done. It was now March, and the hunting troubles were still going
on. The whole gentry in County Galway had determined to take Black
Tom Daly's part, and to carry him on through the contest. But the
effect of taking Black Tom Daly's part was to take the part against
which the Land Leaguers were determined to enrol themselves. For of
all men in the county, Black Tom was the most unpopular. And of all
men he was the most determined; with him it was literally a question
between God and Mammon. A man could not serve both. In the simplicity
of his heart, he thought that the Landleaguers were children of
Satan, and that to have any dealings with them, or the passage of
any kindness, was in itself Satanic. He said very little, but he
spent whole hours in thinking of the evil that they were doing. And
among the evils was the unparalleled insolence which they displayed
in entering coverts in County Galway. Now Frank Jones, who had not
hitherto been very intimate with Tom, had taken up his part, and was
fighting for him at this moment. Nevertheless the provocation to him
to go to London was very great, and he had only put it off till the
last coverts should be drawn on Saturday the 2nd of April. The hunt
had determined to stop their proceedings earlier than usual; but
still there was to be one day in April, for the sake of honour and
glory.

But in the latter days of March there came a third letter from Rachel
O'Mahony. Like the other letter it was cheerful, and high-spirited;
bu