“Don’t believe her,” said Burke, “she’s Papish—­” He had not time to add the offensive epithet, what ever it might have been, for Irwin—­who, in truth, accompanied the party with the special intention of repressing outrage against the M’Loughlins whom he very much respected—­having caught him by the neck, shook the words back again, as it were, into his very throat.  “You ill-tongued drunken ruffian,” said he, “if you don’t hold your scoundrell tongue, I’ll pitch you head foremost out of the house.  We must search, Mrs. M’Loughlin,” said Irwin, “but it will be done as quietly as possible.”

They then proceeded through all the rooms, into which, singular as it may appear, they scarcely looked, until they came into that in which we left Mary M’Loughlin and Phil.  The moment this worthy gentleman heard their approach, he immediately shut the door, and, with all the seeming trepidation and anxiety of a man who feared discover bustled about, and made a show of preparing to resist their entrance.  On coming to the door, therefore, they found it shut, and everything apparently silent within.

“Open the door,” said Irwin, “we want to search for arms.”

“Ah! boys,” said Phil in a whisper through he key-hole, “pass on if you love me—­I give you my word of honor that there’s no arms here but a brace that is worth any money to be locked in.”

“We must open, Mr. Phil,” said Sharpe, “you know our ordhers.  By Japurs,” said he, in a side voice to the rest, “the fellow wasn’t boastin’ at all; it’s true enough—­I’ll uould goold he was right, and that we’ll find her inside with him.”

“When I see it, I’ll believe it,” said Irwin, but not till then.  Open, sir,” said he, “open, if all’s right.”

“Oh, d—­n it, boys,” said Phil again, “this is too bad—­honor bright:—­surely you wouldn’t expose us, especially the girl.”  At the same time he withdrew his shoulder from the door, which flew open, and discovered him striving to soothe and console Miss M’Loughlin, who had not yet recovered her alarm and agitation, so as to understand the circumstances which took place about her.  In fact, she had been in that description of excitement which, without taking away animation, leaves the female (for it is peculiar to the sex) utterly incapable of taking anything more than a vague cognizance of that which occurs before her eyes.  The moment she and Phil were discovered together, not all Irwin’s influence could prevent the party from indulging in a shout of triumph.  This startled her, and was, indeed, the means of restoring her to perfect consciousness, and a full perception of her situation.

“What is this?” she inquired, “and why is it that a peaceable house is filled with armed men? and you, Mr. M’Clutchy, for what treacherous purpose did you intrude into my private room?”

M’Loughlin. himself, from a natural dread of collision between his sons and the licentious yeomanry, and trusting to the friendship and steadiness of Irwin, literally stood sentinel at the parlor door, and prevented them from accompanying the others in the search.