the truly
Christian and benevolent law agent of the property in question."

By these proceedings, however, M'Clutchy had gained Ms point, which was,
under the guise of a zealous course of public duty, to create a basis on
which to ground his private representations of the state of the country
to government. He accordingly lost no time in communicating on the
subject with Lord Cumber, who at once supported him in the project of
raising a body of cavalry for the better security of the public peace;
as, indeed, it was his interest to do, inasmuch, as it advanced his own
importance in the eye of government quite as much as it did M'Clutchy's.
A strong case was therefore made out by this plausible intriguer. In a
few days after the affair of Drum Dhu, honest Val contrived to receive
secret information of the existence of certain illegal papers which
clearly showed that there existed a wide and still spreading conspiracy
in the country. As yet, he said, he could not ground any proceeding of a
definite character upon them.

The information, he proceeded to say, when writing to the Castle, which
came to him anonymously, was to the effect that by secretly searching
the eaves of certain houses specified in the communication received, he
would find documents, clearly corroborating the existence and design of
the conspiracy just alluded to. That he had accordingly done so, and
to his utter surprise, found that his anonymous informant was right. He
begged to enclose copies of the papers, together with the names of the
families residing in the houses where they were found. He did not like,
indeed, to be called a "Conspiracy hunter," as no man more deprecated
their existence; but he was so devotedly attached to the interests of
his revered sovereign, and those of his government, that no matter at
what risk, either of person or reputation, he would never shrink from
avowing or manifesting that attachment to them. And he had the honor to
be, his very obedient servant.

Valentine M'Clutohy, J.P.

P.S.--He begged to enclose for his perusal a letter from his warm
friend, Lord Cumber, on the necessity, as he properly terms it, of
getting up a corps of cavalry, which is indeed a second thought, as
they would be much better adapted, upon long pursuits and under pressing
circumstances, for scouring the country, which is now so dreadfully
disturbed. And has once more the honor to be, Val M'C.

Representations like these, aided by that m