“But the law in this case will deal only with facts, my lord; and your lordship must now see and feel that we are in a capacity to prove them.  And before I proceed further, my lord, I beg to say, that I am instructed to appeal to your lordship’s good sense, and to that consideration for the feelings of your family, by which, I trust, you will be influenced, whether, satisfied as you must be of your position, it would not be more judicious on your own part to concede our just rights, seeing, as you clearly may, that they are incontrovertible, than to force us to bring the matter before the public; a circumstance which, so far as you are yourself concerned, must be inexpressibly painful, and as regards other members of your family, perfectly deplorable and distressing.  We wish, my lord, to spare the innocent as much as we can.”

“I am innocent, sir; your proofs only establish an act done by me in ignorance.”

“We grant that, my lord, at once, and without for a moment charging you with any dishonorable motive; but what we insist on—­can prove—­and your lordship cannot deny—­is, that the act you speak of was done, and done at a certain period.  I do beseech you, my lord, to think well and seriously of my proposal, for it is made in a kind and respectful spirit.”

“I thank you, sir,” replied his lordship, “and those who instructed you to regard my feelings; but this you must admit is a case of too much importance, in which interests of too much consequence are involved, for me to act in it without the advice and opinion of my lawyers.”

“You are perfectly right, my lord; I expected no less; and if your lordship will refer me to them, I shall have no hesitation in laying the grounds of our proceedings before them, and the proofs by which they will be sustained.”

This was assented to on the part of Lord Cullamore, and it is only necessary to say, that, in a few days subsequently, his lawyers, upon sifting and thoroughly examining everything that came before them, gave it as their opinion—­and both were men of the very highest standing—­that his lordship had no defence whatsoever, and that his wisest plan was to yield without allowing the matter to go to a public trial, the details of which must so deeply affect the honor of his children.

This communication, signed in the form of a regular opinion by both these eminent gentlemen, was received by his lordship on the fourth day after Birney’s visit to him on the subject.

About a quarter of an hour after he had perused it, his lordship’s bell rang, and Morty O’Flaherty, his man, entered.

“Morty,” said his lordship, “desire Lord Dunroe to come to me; I wish to speak with him.  Is he within?”

“He has just come in, my lord.  Yes, my lord, I’ll send him up.”

His lordship tapped the arms of his easy chair with the lingers of both hands, and looked unconsciously upon his servant, with a face full of the deepest sorrow and anguish.