conscience on the part of my friend
M'Clutchy here, who is about to exhibit towards you and your family
a just specimen of Christian retribution. In my view of the matter,
however, he is merely the instrument; for I am one, Mr. M'Loughlin, who
believe, that in whatever we do here, we are only working out purposes
that are shaped above."

"What! when we rob the poor, oppress the distressed, strive to blacken
the character of an innocent girl, or blast the credit of an industrious
man, and bring him and his to ruin? Do you mean to say, that the
scoundrel"--he looked at Val as he uttered the last word--"the scoundrel
who does this, and ten times more than this, is working out the purposes
of God? If you do, Sir" he continued, "carry your blasphemy elsewhere,
for I tell you that you shall not utter it under this roof."

"This roof," said Val, "in two hours hence shall be no longer yours."

"I thought you pledged yourself solemnly that you would not take any
hasty steps, in consequence of my embarrassments," said M'Loughlin; "but
you see that I understand your character thoroughly. You are still the
same treacherous and cowardly scoundrel that you ever were, and that
you ever will be."

"This roof," replied Val, "in an hour or two shall be no longer yours.
You and yours shall be this night roofless, homeless, houseless. This,
Brian M'Loughlin, is the day of my vengeance and of my triumph. Out you
go, sir, without consideration, without pity, without mercy--aye, mercy,
for now you are at my mercy, and shall not find it."

"But my wife is ill of fever," said M'Loughlin, "and surely you are at
all events an Irishman, and will not drag her from her sick bed--perhaps
her bed of death?"

"That act of kindness to her would be kindness to you and your family,
Mr. M'Loughlin, and for that reason she shall go out, if she were
to expire on the moment. No; this is the day of my vengeance and my
triumph. Harvey," he added, "tell Jack Stuart to come to me."

Harvey went out, and in a minute or two Stuart came in; a heavy-faced,
sullen-looking villain, who strongly resembled Val himself in character,
for he was equally cowardly and ferocious. Val met him in the hall--

"Stuart," said he, "I have sent up three or four fellows--the two Boyds
and the two Carsons--to arrest a fellow named Easel--a Spy or something
of that kind--with orders to lodge him in goal; go up and tell them to
bring him here first. I have my reasons for it; he