“That I may be blest, sir, but the same face surprises me.  Wisha, then, Mr. Frank, might one ax—­”

“No,” replied M’Carthy, “do as I have desired you—­some other time you may hear it, but not now.”

At this moment, Mogue, who was very circumspect in all his looks as well as in all his motions, saw by a side glance that Julia, on coming down the stairs, saw M’Carthy—­a circumstance which delighted his very heart, inasmuch as he resolved to so manage it, that it might be made to confirm the hint he had already thrown out against M’Carthy—­if that could be called a hint which was a broad and undisguised assertion.  He accordingly watched until an opportunity presented itself of addressing her apart from listeners; and in the course of the morning, as she went to look after some favorite flowers in the garden, he met her at the gate.

“Miss Julia,” said he, “I wish to spake one word to you, i’ you plaise, miss.”

“Well, Mogue, what is it?”

“You know what I tould you about poor Misther Frank last night; and what I want to say, miss, is, that you aren’t to put any trust in it; truth, I believe I had a sup in—­don’t be guided by it—­it was only jokin’ about him I was—­that I may never do an ill turn but it was—­now.”

“You need make no apology about it, Mogue,” she replied; “I am not at all interested in the matter; but I now know that you told me truth; and as a friend and well-wisher of Mr. M’Carthy’s, in common with all my family, I am sorry to find it so.”

“Oh, well now, miss, what will I do at all? wisha, but that’s the way wid me ever and always; when the little sup is in—­and indeed it wasn’t much I tuck—­the truth always come out—­if it was the killin’ of a man, my heart always gets the betther of ma then.”

“I saw him, Mogue, with his face blackened.”

“Wisha, wisha, but I was a haythen to mention it at all.  The truth is, I like Mr. Frank—­but then again, I don’t like anything like desate, or that carries two faces—­only as you did see him, Miss Julia, if you’re loyal to me and won’t turn traitor on me—­you’ve but to wait for a little, I’ll be able to tell you more about the same foolish—­I’d rather say foolish for the sake of settin’ a Christian pat-thern, than wicked or traicherous—­och, ay—­for sure we all have our failins—­howandiver as I was sayin’, I’ll soon be able, I think, to tell you more about him—­things that will surprise you, miss, ay, and make the blood in your veins run cowld.  Only I say, if you wish to hear this, and to have it as clearly proved to you as what I tould you last night, you musn’t betray me.”