who during the past three weeks had made various attempts to see me, and had gone on to Kenmare for that purpose, was continually dogged, and arrested three or four times.  On one occasion they stripped her nearly naked, searching for papers.  She at once saw that to see me would be attended with danger; but she wrote a hurried note, and despatched it by another messenger, as well as a large packet of letters from home.  In these letters I was adjured to continue the disguise of a peasant in whatever attempts I made.  She, too, strongly objected to my proposed plan, and communicated to me a project of escaping which was suggested by a friend of hers at Cork, whither she had gone in her anxiety.  His plan was that I should proceed to Cork, that very night, and take up my residence at some obscure lodging-house, until he could find means of stowing me in a coal vessel, which would take me as far as Wales.  If I agreed to this proposal, I was to be at Crookstown (already mentioned in this narrative) at six o’clock that evening, where I would meet three men who were to conduct me by a safe route to Cork.

When I received this information, it was four o’clock, and the distance to Crookstown was at least seventeen miles.  The plan was one of which I could not approve; but it would be invaluable to me to have a safe asylum in Cork, for any project I might finally decide on.  I accordingly communicated to my man of confidence the difficulty I found myself in, and requested he would procure a horse and car which I could drive along the high road, hoping to reach Crookstown before the promised guide would have left.  He suggested the man at whose house I stopped on a former evening.  Thither both of us repaired, after having completed my costume, such as is generally worn by the lowest Cork peasants—­literally rags.  We got the horse and car, but before the arrangements for our departure were made it was past the hour when I should be at Crookstown.  A servant boy who led the horse was my companion.  When we arrived at Crookstown it was eleven o’clock, and we found no trace of the messengers.  Nothing remained but to try and get on to Cork.  I proposed the journey to the boy; but he resolutely refused.  I affected to acquiesce, and asked him to drink something in a publichouse, which was kept open for the accommodation of carriers, of whom there are large numbers at that season of the year.  He soon yielded to the influence of milk punch, and allowed me to do as I pleased.  We proceeded along the great thoroughfare, having an empty butter cask in the car.  We passed several patrolling parties in the road, and at grey dawn we were entering the city of Cork; the boy sleeping in the car, and the horse led by me.  I paid at the custom-gate for my butter, and passed on through the city unnoticed.  A few gentle taps brought the gentleman, who undertook to have me conveyed out of the country, to the door.  I introduced myself; was admitted, and conducted to a bedroom, where everything was prepared for my reception.  Thus I found myself in the very heart of the city of Cork, while the strictest search was made for me in every cabin on the mountains of Kerry and the western shore.