“But there must be something in it, I tell you,” said she.  “Though Barry Lynch, and that limb o’ the divil, young Daly, ’d stick at nothin in the way of lies and desait, they’d niver go to say all this about Moylan, unless he’d agree to do their bidding.”

“That’s like enough, mother:  I dare say Moylan has been talked over—­bought over rather; for he’s not one of them as’d do mischief for nothin.”

“And does the ould robber mane to say that I—.  As I live, I niver as much as mentioned Anty’s name to Moylan, except jist about the agency!”

“I’m shure you didn’t, mother.”

“And what is it then he has to say agin us?”

“Jist lies; that’s av’ he were called on to say anything; but he niver will be.  This is all one of Barry’s schames to frighten you, and get Anty turned out of the inn.”

“Thin Master Barry doesn’t know the widdy Kelly, I can tell him that; for when I puts my hand to a thing, I mane to pull through wid it.  But tell me—­all this’ll be costing money, won’t, it?  Attorneys don’t bring thim sort of things about for nothing,” and she gave a most contemptuous twist to the notice.

“Oh, Barry must pay for that.”

“I doubt that, Martin:  he’s not fond of paying, the mane, dirthy blackguard.  I tell you what, you shouldn’t iver have let Daly inside the house:  he’ll make us pay for the writing o’ thim as shure as my name’s Mary Kelly:  av’ he hadn’t got into the house, he couldn’t’ve done a halfporth.”

“I tell you, mother, it wouldn’t have done not to let him see Anty.  They’d have said we’d got her shut up here, and wouldn’t let any one come nigh her.”

“Well, Martin, you’ll see we’ll have to pay for it.  This comes of meddling with other folks!  I wonder how I was iver fool enough to have fitched her down here!—­Good couldn’t come of daling with such people as Barry Lynch.”

“But you wouldn’t have left her up there to be murdhered?”

“She’s nothin’ to me, and I don’t know as she’s iver like to be.”

“May-be not.”

“But, tell me, Martin—­was there anything said between you and Moylan about Anty before she come down here?”

“How, anything said, mother?”

“Why, was there any schaming betwixt you?”

“Schaming?—­when I want to schame, I’ll not go shares with sich a fellow as Moylan.”

“Ah, but was there anything passed about Anty and you getting married?  Come now, Martin; I’m in all this throuble along of you, and you shouldn’t lave me in the dark.  Was you talking to Moylan about Anty and her fortune?”