“Gentleman, indeed,” exclaimed Philip, “nothing short of that will sarve him, shure.  To be depinded on, Bat!  Why, thin, its more than I’d like to say.  Howanever, he’s as far in, an’ farther than we are.”

“There’s no use in our quarrelin’ wid him,” said Phats, in his natural manner.  “If he’s in our power, we’re in his; an’ you know he could soon make the counthry too hot to hold us.  Along wid all, too, he’s as revengeful as the dioule himself, if not a thrifle more so.”

“If he an’ Kathleen gets bothered together,” said Philip, “’twould be a good look up for us, at any rate.”

Kate Hogan was the only female present, the truth being that Philip and Ned were both widowers, owing, it was generally believed, to the brutal treatment which their unfortunate wives received at their hands.

“Don’t quarrel wid him,” said she, “if you can, at any rate, till we get him more in our power, an’ that he’ll be soon, maybe.  If we fall out wid him, we’d have to lave the place, an’ maybe to go farther than we intend, too.  Wherever we went over the province, this you know was our headquarters.  Here’s where all belongin’ to us—­I mane that ever died a natural death, or drew their last breath in the counthry—­rests, an’ I’d not like to go far from it.”

“Let what will happen,” said Philip, with an oath, “I’d lose my right arm before Bryan M’Mahon puts a ring on Kathleen.”

“I can tell you that Hycy has no notion of marry in’ her, thin,” said Kate.

“How do you know that?” asked her husband.

“I’ve a little bird that tells me,” she replied.

“Gerald Cavanagh an’ his wife doesn’t think so,” said Philip.  “They and Jemmy Burke has the match nearly made.”

“They may make the match,” said Kate, “but it’s more than they’ll be able to do to make the marriage.  Hycy’s at greater game, I tell you; but whether he is or not, I tell you again that Bryan M’Mahon will have her in spite of all opposition.”

“May be not,” said Phats; “Hycy will take care o’ that; he has him set; he’ll work him a charm; he’ll take care that Bryan won’t be long in a fit way to offer himself as a match for her.”

“More power to him in that,” said Philip; “if he makes a beggarman of him he may depend on us to the back-bone.”

“Have no hand in injurin’ Bryan M’Mahon,” said Kate.  “Keep him from marryin’ Kathleen if you like, or if you can; but, if you’re wise, don’t injure the boy.”

“Why so?” asked Philip.

“That’s nothing to you,” she replied; “for a raison I have; and mark me, I warn you not to do so or it’ll be worse for you.”

“Why, who are we afraid of, barrin Hycy himself?”

“It’s no matther; there’s them livin’ could make you afeard, an’ maybe will, too, if you injure that boy.”

“I’d just knock him on the head,” replied the ferocious ruffian, “as soon as I would a mad dog.”

“Whisht,” said Phats, “here’s Hycy; don’t you hear his foot?”