cked out of the house, and the door was instantly
bolted in his face.

CHAPTER XXI

THE SIEGE

When the enemy had fairly been driven out of the house Mrs. McGuire
went upstairs in search of Phil. Our hero had come out from his place of
concealment, and stood at the window.

"Where is Pietro?" he asked, as his hostess appeared in the chamber.

"I druv him out of the house," said Bridget, triumphantly.

"Then he won't come up here?" interrogated Phil.

"It's I that would like to see him thry it," said Mrs. McGuire, shaking
her head in a very positive manner, "I'd break my broom over his back
first."

Phil breathed freer. He saw that he was rescued from immediate danger.

"Where is he now?"

"He's outside watching for you. He'll have to wait till you come out."

"May I stay here till he goes?"

"Sure, and you may," said the warm-hearted Irishwoman. "You're as
welcome as flowers in May. Are you hungry?"

"No, thank you," said Phil. "I have eaten my dinner."

"Won't you try a bit of bread and cold mate now?" she asked, hospitably.

"You are very kind," said Phil, gratefully, "but I am not hungry. I only
want to get away from Pietro."

"Is that the haythen's name? Sure I niver heard it before."

"It is Peter in English."

"And has he got the name of the blessed St. Peter, thin? Sure, St. Peter
would be mightily ashamed of him. And is he your brother, do you say?"

"No," said Phil.

"He said he was; but I thought it was a wicked lie when he said it. He's
too bad, sure, to be a brother of yours. But I must go down to my work.
My clothes are in the tub, and the water will get cold."

"Will you be kind enough to tell me when he goes away?" asked Phil.

"Sure I will. Rest aisy, darlint. He shan't get hold of you."

Pietro's disappointment may be imagined when he found that the victim
whom he had already considered in his grasp was snatched from him in
the very moment of his triumph. He felt nearly as much incensed at Mrs.
McGuire as at Phil, but against the former he had no remedy. Over the
stalwart Irishwoman neither he nor the padrone had any jurisdiction,
and he was compelled to own himself ignominiously repulsed and baffled.
Still all was not lost. Phil must come out of the house some time, and
when he did he would capture him. When that happy moment arrived he
resolved to inflict a little punishment on our hero on his own account,
in anticipation of that which awaited him from his uncle, the pa