“I hope your mother and family are all well, Mr. Woodward,” she said; “as for your sister Maria she is quite a stay-at-home.  Does she ever visit any one at all?”

“Very rarely, indeed, Miss Riddle:  but I think she will soon do herself the pleasure of calling upon you.”

“I shall feel much obliged, Mr. Woodward.  From what I have heard, and the little I have seen of her, a most amiable girl You have had a chat with my kind-hearted, but eccentric uncle?”

“I have; and he imposed it on me as a condition that I should mention to you an enterprise on which I am bent.”

“An enterprise!  Pray, what is it?”

“Why, a tory-hunt; I am going to hunt down Shawn-na-Middogue, as he is called, and I think it will be rendering the country a service to get rid of him.”

Miss Riddle’s face got pale as ashes; and she looked earnestly and solemnly into Woodward’s face.

“Mr. Woodward,” said she, “would you oblige me with one simple request?  Do not hunt down Shawn-na-Middogue:  my uncle and I owe him our lives.”

“How is that, Miss Riddle?”

“Do you not know that my uncle was a tory hunter?”

“I have certainly heard so,” replied Woodward; “and I am, besides, aware of it from the admirable instructions which he gave me concerning the best method of hunting them down.”

“Yes, but did he encourage you in your determination of hunting down Shawn-na-Middogue?”

“No, certainly; but, on the contrary, advised me to pass him by—­to have nothing to do with him.”

“Did he state his reasons for giving you such advice?”

“He mentioned something with reference to certain legal proceedings taken by my mother against the family of Shawn-na-Middogue.  But I presume my mother had her own rights to vindicate, and beyond that I know nothing of it.  He nearly stabbed my brother to death, and I will leave no earthly means unattempted to shoot the villain down, or otherwise secure him.”

“Well, you are aware that my uncle was the most successful and celebrated tory-hunter of his day, and rendered important services to the government in that capacity—­services which have been liberally rewarded.”

“I am aware of it, Miss Riddle.”

“But you are not aware, as I am, that this same Shawn-na-Middogue saved my uncle’s life and mine on the night before last?”

“How could I, Miss Riddle?”

“It is a fact, though, and I beg you to mark it; and I trust that if you respect my uncle and myself, you will not engage in this cruel and inhuman expedition.”

“But your uncle mentioned nothing of this to me, Miss, Riddle.”

“He does not know it yet.  I have been all yesterday thinking over the circumstance, with a view of getting his lordship to interfere with the government for this unfortunate youth; but I felt myself placed in circumstances of great difficulty and delicacy with respect to your family and ours.  I hope you understand me, Mr. Woodward.  I allude to the circumstances which forced him to become an outlaw and a tory, and it struck me that my uncle could not urge any application in his favor without adverting to them.”