of
Phil's gettin' in at the windy; as it was his to bring the bloodhounds,
at the very minute, to catch the scoundrel in the poor girl's bedroom.
That was enough; all the wather in the say couldn't wash her white, when
this was given to the tongue of scandal to work upon."

"But," said Mr. Clement, "you unfortunate woman, let me ask, why you
suffered Mr. Harman to live under a conviction of Miss M'Loughlin's
guilt?"

"I tould you I had sworn to be revenged on either him, M'Loughlin, or
his; and so I was--may God forgive me!--but one day that my poor foolish
son undertook to convey Hugh Roe O'Regan's wife across the ford of Drum
Dhu river while in a flood, he lost his footing, and never would breathe
the breath of life again, only that God sent John M'Loughlin to the
spot, and at the risk of his own life, he saved poor Raymond's. From
that day out my heart changed. If one son was sent from me in life,
the other was saved from death; and I swore to tell you the truth. But
that's not the only injury I have done you. They put me up, and so
did Solomon M'Slime, to drop hints wherever I went, that you and Mr.
M'Loughlin were on the point of failin'; and, I believe, from some words
I heard Phil say to Solomon one morning, that they put something into
the paper that injured you."

"What was it you heard?" said Hickman.

"Phil said--'all right, Solomon, it's in--and--d--n my honor and
reputation, but it will set a screw loose in the same firm;' he was
reading the paper as he spoke."

"All this is of great value," said Easel, "and must be made use of."

"As for me," said Harman in an impassioned voice, "I care not a jot for
our bankruptcy; the great and oppressive evil of my heart is removed; I
ought, I admit, to have known that admirable girl better than to suffer
any suspicion of; her to have-entered into my heart; but, then, I must
have discredited my own eyes--and so I ought. God bless you, Poll!
I forgive you all that you and those malignant villains have made me
suffer, in consequence of what you have just now disclosed to us."

"I could not have believed this," observed Easel; "I scarcely thought
that such profound infamy was in human nature. Good God--and these two
men hold the important offices of Head and Under Agent on the Castle
Cumber estate!"

"Have you nothing particular, Poll, about that pious little man,
M'Slime?" asked Hickman. Poll, however, who in no instance was ever
known to abuse professional con