leman's answer. There, he determined, they should
remain until after dark, when he could secure both without risk, and see
what might be done with them.

"Now," thought he, "that I've Solomon in a double pickle--for he can't
inquire about the letter without letting it be seen that he tould a
lie, and practised a bit of knavery, any how--an' as regwdin' the other
thing, I have him fast."

In the meantime, Father M'Cabe, who had read M'Slime's paragraph in the
Castle Cumber "True Blue," respecting Darby's conversion, had a sharp
eye out for him, as they term it in the country. Indeed, after two or
three vain attempts to see him, the Rev. gentleman was satisfied with
sending him a gentle message of congratulation upon his change of
creed, which was significantly wound up by a slight hint, that he might,
probably, on their next meeting, give him a nice treat, but of what
particular description was not communicated. Darby having secured the
letters as described, was proceeding at a pretty quick pace towards Mr.
Lucre's, when, whom should he meet in a narrow part of the way, which
was enclosed between two immense white thorn hedges, through which any
notion of escape was impracticable--but the Rev. Father M'Cabe. He
tried every shift--looked back as if he expected some friend to follow
him--then to the right--again to the left--then stooped to examine the
ground, as if he had lost something of value or importance. At length,
finding every other trick useless, he adopted that one so common among
boys in desperate cases--we mean the attempt to make a mask of the right
shoulder in order to conceal the face. Even this failed, and he found
himself compelled to meet the fixed and stern gaze of the colossal
priest, who was on horseback, and bore in his huge right hand a whip,
that might, so gripped, have tamed a buffalo, or the centaur himself, if
he were not fabulous.

"Why--my good, honest and most religious friend, Mr. Darby O'Drive--the
odor of whose sanctity, you scoundrel, has already perfumed the whole
Parish--is it possible that Providence in kindness to me, and in pure
justice to yourself, has thrown you into my way at last." This for the
present was accompanied only by a peculiar quivering motion of the whip,
resulting from the quick vibrations which his sense of Darby's hypocrisy
had communicated through the hand to the weapon which it held.

"God save your Reverence!" replied Darby, "an' in troth I'm glad to
see you