nor, almost angrily, "stop; what do you mane by
them last words?"

"Divil a much; it's about the blaggard I'm spakin'; he'll be ped, I can
tell you. There's a few friends of yours that intinds, some o' these
nights, to open a gusset under one of his ears only; the divil a thing
more."

"What! to take the unhappy man's life--to murdher him?"

"Hut, Connor; who's spakin' about murdher? No, only to make him miss his
breath some night afore long. Does he desarve mercy that 'ud swear away
the life of an innocent man?"

"Nogher," replied the other, rising up and speaking with the utmost
solemnity--

"If one drop of his blood is spilt on my account, it will bring the
vengeance of Heaven upon the head of every man havin' a hand in it. Will
you, because he's a villain, make yourself murdherers--make yourselves
blacker than he is?"

"Wiry, thin, death alive! Connor, have you your seven sinsis about you?
Faith, that's good; as if it was a sin to knock such a white-livered
Judas upon the head! Sin!--oh hell resave the morsel o' sin in that but
the contrairy. Sure its only sarvin' honest people right, to knock
such a desaiver on the head. If he had parjured himself for sake of
the truth, or to assist a brother in trouble--or to help on the good
cause--it would be something; but to go to--but--arra, be me sowl,
he'll sup sarra for it, sure enough! I thought it would make your mind
aisy, or I wouldn't mintion it till we'd let the breath out of him."

"Nogher," said Connor, "before you leave this unfortunate room, you must
take the Almighty to witness that you'll have no hand in this bloody
business, an' that you'll put a stop to it altogether. If you don't, and
that his life is taken, in the first place, I'll be miserable for life;
and in the next, take my word for it, that the judgment of God will fall
heavily upon every one consarned in it."

"What for? Is it for slittin' the juggler of sich a rip? Isn't he as
bad as a heretic, an' worse, for he turned against his own. He has got
himself made the head of a lodge, too, and holds Articles; but it's not
bein' an Article-bearer that'll save him, an' he'll find that to his
cost. But, indeed, Connor, the villain's a double thraitor, as you'd
own, if you knew what I heard a hint of?"

"Well, but you must lave him to God."

"What do you think but I got a whisper that he has bad designs on her."

"On who?" said O'Donovan (starting).

"Why, on your own girl, Oona, the Bodagh's