“Well, my good fellow,” said he, “what do you want?  Go up to the house and you will get food.”

“Keep quiet,” replied the other, disclosing himself, “keep quiet; get all your money into one purse, settle your affairs as quickly as you can, and fly the country this night, or otherwise sit down and make your will and your peace with God Almighty, for if you are found here by to-morrow night you sleep in Sligo jail.  Throw me a few halfpence, making as it were charity.  Whitecraft has spies among your own laborers, and you know the danger I run in comin’ to you by daylight.  Indeed, I could not do it without this disguise.  To-morrow night you are to be taken upon a warrant from Sir Robert Whitecraft; but never mind; as to Whitecraft, leave him to me—­I have a crow to pluck with him.”

“How is that, Fergus?”

“My sister, man; did you not hear of it?”

“No, Fergus, nor I don’t wish to hear of it, for your sake; spare your feelings, my poor fellow; I know perfectly well what a hypocritical scoundrel he is.”

“Well,” replied Fergus, “it was only yesterday I heard of it myself; and are we to bear this?—­we that have hands and eyes and limbs and hearts and courage to stand nobly upon the gallows-tree for striking down the villain who does whatever he likes, and then threatens us with the laws of the land if we murmur?  Do you think this is to be borne?”

“Take not vengeance into your own hand, Fergus,” replied Reilly, “for that is contrary to the laws of God and man.  As for me, I agree with you that I cannot remain in this country.  I know the vast influence which Whitecraft possesses with the government.  Against such a man I have no chance; this, taken in connection with my education abroad, is quite sufficient to make me a marked and suspected man.  I will therefore leave the country, and ere to-morrow night, I trust, I shall be beyond his reach.  But, Fergus, listen:  leave Whitecraft to God; do not stain your soul with human blood; keep a pure heart, and whatever may happen be able to look up to the Almighty with a clear conscience.”

Fergus then left him, but with a resolution, nevertheless, to have vengeance upon the baronet very unequivocally expressed on his countenance.

Having seriously considered his position and all the circumstances’ of danger connected with it, Reilly resolved that his interview that night with his beloved Cooleen Bawn should be his last.  He accordingly communicated his apprehensions to an aged uncle of his who resided with him, and entrusted the management of his property to him until some change for the better might take place.  Having heard from Fergus Reilly that there were spies among his own laborers, he kept moving about and. making such observations as he could for the remainder of the day.  When the night came he prepared himself for his appointment, and at, or rather before, the hour of half-past ten, he had reached the back gate, or rather door of the