ween
the pigeon-holes. She felt about the back of one of the three little
drawers it contained and brought out a sliding well, one of the
innocent secret receptacles which are so easily discovered by any one
who has the clue. She drew out a little bundle of yellow papers from
it--newspaper cuttings. These she took to the lamp and proceeded to
read with great care.

Once or twice she knitted her fair brows over something as she read;
but, on the whole, she seemed satisfied as she put the papers back into
their secret place, locked the little door and put away the key.

Then she remembered that she had not given Patsy his orders.

She went to Sir Shawn's office-room and wrote them out. While she put
the second one in its envelope Patsy tapped at the door and came in,
closing it carefully behind him.

"No wan 'ud be expectin' the master home from the Wood o' the Hare
yet," he said. "'Tis a good step an' Sir John Fitzgerald would be very
sorry to part with him after he'd carried him in for his lunch. Maybe
'tis staying to dinner he'd be."

Lady O'Gara looked at her watch.

"It's quite early," she said; "not much after six."

"'Tis a dark night," said Patsy. "Maybe 'tis the way they'll be
persuadin' him to wait till the moon rises. Sorra a bit she'll show
her face till nine to-night."

Mary O'Gara's heart sank. She knew that Patsy was nervous.

"He may come at any moment," she said. "I don't think he'll wait for
the rising of the moon."

"It isn't like the troubled times," said Patsy, "an' you listenin'
here, an' me listenin' by the corner o' the stable-yard where the wind
brings the sounds from the bog-road whin 'tis in that quarter. Your
Ladyship had great courage. An' look at all you must ha' went through
whin we was at the War!"

He looked compassionately at her as he went towards the door.

"I'll be sendin' a boy wid this message," he said. "Or maybe Georgie
an' me would be steppin' down there. It's lonesome for the child to be
sittin' over his books all day whin I'm busy."

He opened the door, looked into the empty hall and came back.

"I wouldn't be troublin' the master wid them ould stories," he said.
"Didn't I tell my story fair!"

"You did, Patsy. There were some things in it were not in the evidence
you gave at the time."

"See that now! T'ould mimiry of me's goin'. Still, there wasn't much
differ?"

There was some anxiety in his voice as he asked the question.

"Nothing mu