y be to God!"

"Damn my honor, Darby," said Phil, "but that's queer talk from a
Protestant, if you are one."

"Och, sure aren't we all Protestant together, now?" replied Darby; "and
sure, knowing that, where's the use of carryin' the matter too far?
Sure, blood alive, you wouldn't have me betther than yourselves? I hope
I know my station, gintlemen."

"Ah, Darby," said Phil, "you're a neat boy, I think."

"What's to be done?" asked Val; "their refusal to send their horses and
cars must be owing to the influence of this priest Roche."

"Of course it is," replied the son; "I wish to God I had the hanging
of him; but why did you send to those blasted papists at all? sure the
blood-hounds were your men."

"Why did I, Phil? ah, my good shallow Son--ha, why did I?" he spoke in
a low condensed whisper, "why, to sharpen my vengeance. It was my design
to have made one papist aid in the oppression of another. Go off, Darby,
to Castle Cumber, and let twelve or fourteen of my own corps come to
M'Loughlin's with their horses and carts immediately;--call also to
M'Slime's, and desire him to meet me there forthwith; and bid Hanlon and
the other two fellows to wait outside until they shall be wanted. The
sheriff will be at M'Loughlin's about two o'clock."

After Darby had gone, Val paused for a while, then rose, and walked
about, apparently musing and reflecting, with something of uneasiness
and perplexity in his looks; whilst Phil unfolded the True Blue, and
began to peruse its brilliant pages with his usual nonchalance.

"Phil," said the father, "there is one thing I regret, and it is that
I promised Solomon Harman's farm. We should, or rather you should, you
know, have secured both--for I need not tell you that two good things
are better than one, and as my friend Lucre knows--who, by the way, is
about to be made a bishop of, now that he of ------ ------ has gone
to his account. Solomon, however, having been aware of the fines they
offered, _ex officio_, as the Law Agent, I thought the safest thing
was to let them go snacks. If, however, we could so manage, before Lord
Cumber's arrival, as to get him discarded, we might contrive to secure
the other farm also. The affair of the young woman, on which I rested
with a good deal of confidence, would, I am inclined to think, on second
consideration, rather raise him in that profligate Lord's esteem than
otherwise."

"Why, did you not hear that he was publicly expelled from the