not tracked you on that score."

"Poach!--tracked me!" reiterated Mark O'Donoghue, for it is needless to
say it was he; and then, as if the ludicrous were even stronger in his
mind than mere passion, he burst into a rude laugh; while the sick boy's
pale face grew a deep crimson, as, with faltering accents, he said--

"You must be a stranger here, sir, I fancy."

"I am so," said Travers mildly and yielding at once to the respect ever
due to suffering; "my name is Travers. I have come over here to enquire
after a young gentleman who saved my sister's life."

"Then you've _tracked_ him well," interposed Mark, with an emphasis on
the word. "Here he is."

"Will you not sit down," said Herbert, motioning with his wasted hand to
a seat.

Frederick took his place beside the boy at once and said--"We owe you,
sir, the deepest debt of gratitude it has ever been our fortune to
incur; and if anything could enhance the obligation, it has been the
heroism, the personal daring----"

"Hold there," said Mark, sternly. "It's not our custom here to listen to
compliments on our courage--we are O'Donoghues."

"This young gentleman's daring was no common one," answered Travers, as
if stung by the taunt.

"My brother will scarce feel flattered by your telling him so," was
Mark's haughty answer; and for some seconds Frederick knew not how to
resume the conversation; at last, turning to Herbert, he said--

"May I hope that, without offending you, we may be permitted in some
shape to express the sentiment I speak of; it is a debt which cannot be
requited; let us at least have some evidence that we acknowledge it."

"It is the more like some of our own," broke in Mark with a fierce
laugh; "we have parchments enough, but we never pay. Your father's agent
could tell you that."

Frederick gave no seeming attention to this speech, but went on--"When
I say there is nothing in our power we would deem enough, I but express
the feelings of my father and myself."

"There, there," cried Mark, preventing Herbert who was about to reply,
"you've said far more than was needed for a wet jacket and a few weeks'
low diet. Let us have a word about the poaching you spoke of."

His fixed and steady stare--the rigid brow, by which these words
were accompanied, at once proclaimed the intention of one who sought
reparation for an insult, and so instantly did they convey the
sentiment, that Travers, in a second, forgot all about his mission, and,
start