“So far so good,” said Ralph Mohun, as he sat down again, and went in steadily at a woodcock.  “Don’t hurry yourselves, gentlemen.  We have three quarters of an hour yet; they will take that time to muster.  Clontarf, some Hock?”

The boy to whom he spoke held out his glass with a pleasant smile.  The coming peril had not altered a tint on his fresh, beardless cheeks—­rosy and clear as a page’s in one of Boucher’s pictures.

A good contrast he made with the miserable attorney, who had followed us uninvited (it seemed he only felt safe in our presence), and who was crouching in a corner, his lank hair plastered round his livid convulsed face with the sweat of mortal fear.

It struck Mohun, I think.  He laid his hand on Clontarf’s shoulder, and spoke with a kindliness of voice and manner most unusual with him—­

     “We’ll quell the savage mountaineer,
       As their Tinchell cows the game: 
     They come as fleet as forest deer;
       We’ll drive them back as tame.”

Even at that anxious moment I could not help laughing at the idea of Ralph quoting poetry—­of that grim Saul among the prophets.

I went in to keep up Kate’s spirits.  She bore up gallantly, poor child, and I left her tolerably calm.  She believed in me as a “plunger” to an enormous extent, and in Mohun still more.  When I returned my companions were in the gallery.  This ran round two sides of the hall, which went up to the roof.  The only access to the upper part of the house was by a stone staircase of a single flight.  The kitchen and offices were on the ground floor, otherwise it was uninhabited.

Ralph had his pistols by him, and his cavalry sword, long and heavy, but admirably poised, lay within his reach.

“I have settled it,” he said.  “You and Connell are to take the guns.  Smooth-bores are quickest loaded, and will do for this short distance.  Clontarf, who is not quite so sure with the trigger, is to have the post of honor, and guard the staircase with his sabre.  Throw another bucket of water over it, Connell—­is it thoroughly drenched?  And draw the windows up” (these did not reach to within ten feet of the floor); “we shall be stifled else.  But there will be a thorough draft when the door’s down, that’s our comfort.  One word with you, Carew.”

He drew me aside, and spoke almost in a whisper, while his face was very grave and stern.

“You will do me this justice, whatever happens.  Unless it had been forced upon me, I would not have risked a hair of your wife’s head to save all the attorneys that are patronized by the father of lies.  But, mark, me! if it comes to the worst, keep a bullet for her.  Don’t leave her to the mercy of those savage devils.  I know them.  She had better die ten times over than full into their brutal hands.  You must use your own discretion, though.  I shall not be able to advise you then.  Not a man of them will be in this gallery till I am past praying for.  Nevertheless, I hope and believe all will be right.  Don’t trouble yourself to reload; Fritz will do that for you.  I have given him his orders.  Aim very coolly, too; we must not waste a bullet.  You can choose your own sword; there are several behind you.  Ah!  I hear them coming up.  Now, men, to your posts.”