“It manes an ould waistcoat; that is, it’s the Irish for an ould waistcoat, and Paudeen Gar’s men were called Shanavests, bekaise when they went out to swear the people against tithes and priests’ dues, they put ould waistcoats about them for fraid o’ bein’ known.”

“And you tell me that McCarthy’s a White-boy?”

“Wasn’t he a night wid them? and didn’t he come home in the mornin’ wid his face blackened?”

“Well, but he accounted very satisfactorily for that.”

“I’m a friend to your family, Mr. Alick; and what I tell you is thrue; an’ by the same token, Miss Julia isn’t safe in the one house wid him.”

“Come, come, Mogue, don’t attempt’ to make any illusion of that kind.  You are an honest but over-anxious fool, and like many a one in this world, would make mountains out of mole-hills.”

“Well, sir,” replied Mogue, somewhat downcast, “when the time comes I’ll let you know why I say so.  Don’t trust either o’ them, I say, for the present, at any rate; for I hope soon to know more about them.”

“Well, then, Mogue,” said Alick, laughing, “I’ll keep my eye on them.”

“Do so, sir; an’ as I’m spakin’ to you as a friend that you may trust, I tell you, Mr. Alick, that although I’m quiet, as I said a while agone, still as there’s likely to be danger to your family, I’d wish to help you to meet it, and to do whatever little I could in your defence—­I would, indeed; but you know, Mr. Alick, I can’t do that so long as I’m kept sleepin’ in the out-houses.  If I was allowed any kind of a shake-down in the house, I could do a good deal in the way of assistance.  I could help you to load your fire-arms, or I could take charge of the ladies, and many other thing that I couldn’t do out o’ the house, so that was all I had to say to you, Mr. Alick.”

“Thank you, Mogue; I really feel obliged to you; and I shall think over what you have said to me.  If we admit any stranger to sleep in the house, with the exception of Mr. M’Carthy, you shall be the man; I will promise you that much, conditionally.”

“And not a word of what I hinted about Jerry?”

“You need not be at all uneasy on that score; as I said, I shall keep my eye on him.  We must now go to prepare for this auction, which, of course, so far as we are concerned, will be both an unpleasant and unprofitable affair.  Go, then, and get the horses.  We have also some processes to serve, and it will be necessary that we should see the bailiffs, to give them proper instructions, and directions to the houses on which they are to serve them.”

“Is Mr. O’Driscol goin’ wid you, sir?”

“No, Mogue,” replied Alick, laughing, “ever since the country has risen, as he calls it, Mr. O’Driscol. has lost his health.  Indeed, ever since the day he was attacked at Philpot’s Corner, by the four black faces, a fact which he has dignified with the name of insurrection, he has taken no active part in public life.  He does nothing now but correspond with his friend the Castle, as he says.”