“Lamh Laudher More,” said she, “I once attempted to stab you, only for preventin’ your relation from marryin’ a woman that you knew Andy Hart had ruined.  You disfigured my face in your anger too; that an’ your preventing my marriage, an’ my character bein’ lost, whin it was known what he refused to marry me for, made me swear an oath of vengeance against you an’ yours.  I may now ax your forgiveness, for I neither dare nor will ax God’s.”

“You have mine—­you have all our forgiveness,” replied the old man; “but, Nell, ax God’s, for it’s His you stand most in need of—­ax God’s!”

Nell, however, appeared to hear him not.

“Is that your hand in mine, avick?” said she, addressing her son.

“It is—­it is,” said the son.  “But, mother, I didn’t, as I’m to stand before God, aim the blow at you, but at Rody.”

“Lamh Laudher!” said she, forgetting herself, “I ax your forgive——.”

Her head fell down before she could conclude the sentence, and thus closed the last moments of Nell M’Collum.

After the lapse of a short interval, in which Lamh Laudher’s daughter received back her money, the certificate, and the gospel, her brother discovered that Rody was the person who had, through Ellen Neil, communicated to him the secret that assisted him in vanquishing the Dead Boxer, a piece of information which saved him from prosecution.  The family now returned home, where they found Meehaul Neil awaiting their arrival, for the purpose of offering his sister’s hand and dowry to our hero.  This offer, we need scarcely say, was accepted with no sullen spirit.  But Lamh Laudher was not so much her inferior in wealth as our readers may suppose.  His affectionate sister divided her money between him and her parents, with whom she spent the remainder of her days in peace and tranquility.  Our great-grandfather remembered the wedding, and from him came down to ourselves, as an authentic tradition, the fact that it was an unrivalled one, but that it would never have taken place were it not for the terrible challenge of the Dead Boxer.