y turned to bid him farewell at the old keep on
the road side, "such are the traditions of our land; they vary in time
and place, and persons; but they have only one moral through all--what a
terrible thing is slavery!"

Travers endeavoured to turn the application of her speech, by some
common-place compliment about her own powers of inflicting bondage; but
she stopped him suddenly, with "Nay, nay; these are not jesting
themes, although you may deem them unsuited for one as ignorant and
inexperienced as I am; nor will I speak of them again, if they serve but
as matter for laughter."

Amid his protestations of innocence against this charge, which, in his
ardour, he pushed farther than calmer judgment might warrant, they shook
hands cordially, and parted.

"He's a fine-hearted fellow, too," thought Kate, as she slowly moved
along in silence. "Saxon though he be, there's a chord in his bosom that
responds to the touch of truth and honour."

"Noble girl," said Frederick, half aloud, "it would be hard to rebuke
treason, when spoken from such lips;" then added, with a smile--"It's no
fair temptation to expose even a Guardsman to."

And thus, each speculated on the character of the other, and fancied
how, by their own influence, it might be fashioned and moulded to a
better form; nor was their interest lessened in each other's
fortune from the fact, that it seemed to involve so much of mutual
interposition.

"You should not walk this road so late," said Mark O'Donoghue, almost
rudely, as he opened the door to admit them. "The smugglers are on the
coast now, and frequently come up the glen at nightfall."

"Why not have come to be our escort, then?" said Kate, smiling.

"What? With the gay soldier for your guard," said he, bitterly.

"How knew you that, my worthy cousin?" said Kate, rapidly, and then,
with a significant shake of the head, added, in a whisper--"I see there
_are_ marauders about."

Mark blushed till his face became scarlet, and turning abruptly away,
sought his own room in silence.

CHAPTER XXV. A DAY OF DIFFICULT NEGOCIATIONS

The time was now approaching when the Travers's were to remove to the
capital, and, at Sybella's urgent entreaty, Sir Marmaduke was induced
to request that Kate O'Donoghue might accompany them in their visit, and
thus enjoy the pleasures of a winter in Dublin, then, second to no city
of Europe, in all that constituted social excellence.

The note of invitation couched