Lanigan laughed, and the butler passed on with the lunch.

We may state here that the squire, notwithstanding his outspoken manner against Popery, like a terrible reverend baronet not long deceased, who, notwithstanding his discovery of the most awful Popish plots, and notwithstanding the most extravagant denunciations against Popery, like him, we say, the old squire seldom had more than one or two Protestant servants under his roof.  Pat hated Longshanks, as he termed him, as did all the household, which, indeed, was very natural, as he was such a notorious persecutor of their religion and their clergy.

Lanigan lost no time in acquainting Reilly with what he had heard, and the heart of the latter palpitated with alarm on hearing that the next day but one was likely to join his Cooleen Bawn, by violent and unnatural proceedings, to the man whom she so much detested.  He felt that it was now time to act in order to save her.  Arrangements were consequently made between them as to the time and manner of their escape, and those arrangements, together with the dialogue he had overheard, Lanigan communicated to the Cooleen Bawn.

The squire on that day experienced strange alternations of feeling.  His spirits seemed to rise and sink, as the quicksilver in the glass is affected by the state of the atmosphere.  He looked into the future with terror, and again became, to the astonishment of his guest—­we now talk of their conduct after dinner—­actuated by some thought or impulse that put him into high spirits.  Whitecraft, cool and cautious, resolved to let him have his way; for the squire was drinking deeply, and the Burgundy was good and strong.

“Bob, my boy,” said he, “you don’t drink, and that is a bad sign.  You have either a bad head of late, or a bad heart, which is worse.  Hang you, sir, why don’t you drink?  I have seen you lay lots of my guests under the table when you were quite cool; but now, what are you at?  They can’t run away to-night.  Helen doesn’t know that the discovery has been made.  And now, Bob, you dog, listen to me, I say—­would you have had the manliness and courage to expose yourself for the sake of a pretty girl as he did?—­that is—­here’s a bumper to Helen!  Curse you, will nothing make you drink?  No, faith, he hadn’t seen Helen at the time; it was for a worthless old fellow like me that he exposed himself; but no matter, you may be right; perhaps it was a plot to get acquainted with her.  Still, I’m not sure of that; but if it was, I’ll make him smart.”

After dinner the squire drank deeply—­so deeply, indeed, that Whitecraft was obliged to call up some of the male servants to carry him to his chamber and put him to bed.  In this task Lanigan assisted, and thanked his stars that he was incapacitated from watching the lovers, or taking any means to prevent their escape.  As for Whitecraft, thought he, I will soon send him about his business.  Now, this