At this moment a tap came to the door, and Donnel, on hearing it, went out, and in a minute or two returned again, saying—­

“Hurry, Biddy; make haste, if you wish to go at all; but remember not to be more than an hour away.”

The old creature accordingly threw her cloak about her, and made the best of her way to see her grandchildren, both of whose parents had been swept away by the first deadly ravages of the typhus fever.

She had not been long gone, when another tap was given, and Donnel, on opening the door, said—­

“You may come in now; she’s off to Shanco.  I didn’t think it safe that she should see us together on this night, at all events.  Sit down.  This girl’s illness has nearly spoiled all; however, we must only do the best we can.  Thank God the night’s dark, that’s one comfort.”

“If we could a’ had Dalton found guilty,” replied Body, “all would be well over this night, an’ we might be on our way out o’ this to America; but what ’ud you do wid Sarah if we had?  Sure she wouldn’t be able to travel, nor she won’t, I doubt, as it is.”

“Sarah,” replied the Prophet, who suspected the object of the question, “is well fit to take care of herself.  We must only go without her, if she’s not able to come the day afther to-morrow.  Where are the boys for the Grange?”

“Undher shelter of the Grey Stone, waitin’ to start.”

“Well, then, as it it,” said Donnel, “they know their business, at any rate.  The Grange folk don’t expect them this week to come, you think?”

Rody looked at the Prophet very keenly, as he thought of the conversation that took place between himself and Charley Hanlon, and which, upon an explanation with Donnel, he had detailed.  The fellow, however, as we said, was both cowardly and suspicious, and took it into his head that his friend might feel disposed to play him a trick, by sending him to conduct the burglary, of which Hanlon had spoken with such startling confidence—­a piece of cowardice which, indeed, was completely gratuitous and unfounded on his part; the truth being, that it was the Prophet’s interest, above all things, to keep Rody out of danger, both for that worthy individual’s sake and his own.  Rody, We say, looked at him; and of a certainty it must be admitted, that the physiognomy of our friend, the Seer, during that whole day, was one from which no very high opinion of his integrity or good faith could be drawn.

“It’s a very sthrange thing,” replied Rody, in a tone of thought and reflection, “how Charley Hanlon came to know of this matther at all.”

“He never heard a word of it,” replied Donnel, “barrin’ from yourself.”

“From me!” replied Rody, indignantly; “what do you mane by that?”

“Why, when you went to sound him,” said Donnel, “you let too much out; and Charley was too cute not to see what you wor at.”

“All feathalagh an’ nonsense,” replied Eody, who, by the way, entertained a very high opinion of his own sagacity; “no mortal could suspect that there was a plot to rob the house from what I said; but hould,” he added, slapping his knee, as if he had made a discovery, “ma chorp an’ dioul, but I have it all.”