“Now,” said Barney, “I think I have my thumb upon him, and it will go hard with me or I will make him suffer for this hellish intention to murder his brother.  Mr. Greatrakes is a man of great wealth and high rank; he is, besides, a magistrate of the county, and, please God, I will disclose to him all that I have seen and suspect.”

Barney, under the influence of these feelings, went to bed, satisfied that he had saved the life of Charles Lindsay, at least for that night, but at the same time resolved to bring his murderous brother to an account for his conduct.

CHAPTER XXIII.  Greatrakes at Work—­Denouement

Greatrakes was on his way from Birch Grove to Rathnllan House the next day when he was met by Barney Casey, who had been on the lookout for him.  Barney, who knew not his person, was not capable of determining whether he was the individual whom he wanted or not.  At all events he resolved at once to ascertain that fact.  Accordingly, putting his hand to his hat, he said, with a respectful manner,—­

“Pray, sir, are you the great Valentine Great Rooke, who prevents the people from dyin’?”

“I am Valentine Greatrakes,” he replied, with a smile; “but I cannot prevent the people from dying.”

“Begad, but you can prevent them from being sick, at any rate.  I am myself sometimes subject to a colic, bad luck to it—­(this was a lie, got up for the purpose of arresting the attention of Greatrakes)—­and maybe if you would be kind enough to rub me down you would drive the wind out of me and cure me of it, for at least, by all accounts through the whole parish, it’s a windy colic that haunts me.”

Greatrakes, who was a man of great goodnature, and strongly susceptible of humor, laughed very heartily at Barney’s account of his miserable state of health.

“Well,” said he, “my good friend, let me tell you that the colic you speak of is one of the most healthy diseases we have.  Don’t, if you regard your constitution, and your health, ever attempt to get rid of it.  Your constitution is a windy constitution, and that is the reason why you are graciously afflicted with a windy colic.”

It was, in fact, diamond cut diamond between the two.  Barney, who had never had a colic in his life, shrugged his shoulders very dolefully at the miserable character of the sympathy which was expressed for him; and Greatrakes, from his great powers of observation, saw that every word Barney uttered with respect to his besetting malady was a lie.

At length Barney’s countenance assumed an expression of such honest sincerity and feeling that Greatrakes was at once struck by it, and he kept his eye steadily fixed upon him.

“Sir,” said Barney, “I understand you are a distinguished gentleman and a magistrate besides?”

“I am certainly a magistrate,” replied Greatrakes; “but what is your object in asking the question, my good fellow?”