"Catherine, know that neither myself nor my companions have ever taken the life of any human creature." "But, Pierce, in self-defence you would be obliged to do so."

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Possibly, Catherine, but that would not be murder, for the law even justifies the defence of life against attack, at any cost."

"That may be, but in your position it would be murder for you would be the aggressor, not the aggrieved,—and murder in its worst form, that no reasoning of yours could gainsay. Let me appeal to the better part of your nature, dear Pierce! Let me appeal to your integrity, your manly independence, your pride; is it right, is it worthy of you, to gain your subsistence by force and violence? I would rather beg—aye, become the poorest labourer-than pursue such a career; a disgrace to yourself, and the name you bear. In my opinion, such a course of life is, in the highest degree, cowardly, although there are many who think it very high-sounding and romantic to be the chief of a band of lawless men, and to have songs sung in their praise; but it is cowardly, because it is, at the very best, but the triumph of common, vulgar, mere animal courage, over the moral, more manly, and elevated part of our nature."

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'Catherine, do you not guess what urges me to this life? It is not for myself, but for the cause of liberty and freedom. The Rebel Army, as it is designated, is sadly in want of funds to keep it afloat, notwithstanding the anonymous and liberal donations that are sent. For more than two years we have been sending supplies to them. And we, robbers as you call us, only take from those who are opposed to the independence of a free government. I never left the country, as you all imagined, but joined the volunteers in Dublin. There, unfortunately, we were one night betrayed, and delivered up to the authorities, and not all the efforts of an infuriated mob could extricate us out of their hands.

Three of my companions, poor fellows! were captured, convicted, and hanged-yes, hanged like dogs! You may well start, Catherine. I burn as I recall it now: those enthusiastic, handsome youths, with old Ireland's noblest blood flowing through their veins! I, by some miracle, escaped with my life, vowing to be revenged, and to beg, borrow, or steal the necessary means to assist this brave but unfortunate band of United Irishmen, or perish in the attempt. And know further, Catherine, that the real Captain Sweeny is now assisting the Rebel Army in Dublin. I am only personating him, the better to further the cause in his absence. So let that relieve you of some anxiety on my account."

Catherine's eyes dilated, and her cheeks flushed, during this disclosure; for she felt that had she been a man, she would have been one of those patriots, although she would have scorned to help them by the means to which Pierce had recourse. She would have shed the last drop of her blood in the cause of her unhappy country, but to no dishonourable action would she have lent herself, even to help that country. It would have been like liberating a slave, at the price of the stripes that branded him.

"Only imagine yourself, Pierce, possessing some earthly good, that was yours by every right of law and nature-for instance, a wife, a child, or it may be, a sweetheart"-she blushed as she completed the sentence

"whom you prized above all things. A robber comes into your house at midnight, when he has ascertained. that its natural protectors are absent, and bears off your treasure. Tell me candidly, Pierce, the man who could act thus, would you call him honourable and brave? What he cannot have by fair means he has by foul. Shame !"

"But, Catherine, I don't rob any one of his flesh and. blood."

"What is the difference, if you take what is not yours? Oh! Pierce, I beg, I implore you, if you ever

loved me-if you love me still-give up, forsake this lawless life; be anything but what you are! The world is large, and you possess youth and talents. There is an opening for you in the New World. Join the banner of liberty and independence, under which some of the noblest of your countrymen are now fighting. Oh, that my words could reach your heart, and send you this very night far away from this place! Here are the means! And she drew from her pocket the money and trinkets that she had brought with her for the purpose.

"Leave old Ireland, Catherine!"

"Yes, leave it; and far better that it should be as it is, than that it should be still more disgraced by the unworthy conduct of any of its own sons. Oh, that an Irishman, and an O'Neile, should cause his unhappy country to blush for him! that, in addition to the wrongs and outrages at the hands of the stranger, our country should have to blush for one of its own-one who should fain have saved it! Go, and Heaven will prosper you, and your memory shall live, as it always has, in my heart for ever!"

She bent her head in her lap with excess of emotion, and a long silence ensued, which she did not dare to break. She hoped her words had made an impression, and that now the decisive moment had come.

At last he spoke. "Catherine, I feel the truth and force of your words, and if I had only my own wishes to consult, I should, as you urge, fly this night; but there are others who must be considered," and he pointed to the far end of the cave, where the murmur of cheerful voices was heard. "My brave companions! I cannot forsake them, though their services are voluntary. What would they think of this sudden freak of mine? Doubtless, I might leave without apprising them or Captain Sweeny; but, amongst all the characters I have assumed, that of traitor has never been one. No, Catherine, I cannot. Time, perhaps, may show me some way out of it, without betraying them.”

"There would be no need to betray them. You could explain openly to them your intention, and then let them decide for you and for themselves. They are gentlemen, and may be more generous than you imagine; besides, their captain, as you say, will return some day, and what then?"

"I shall consider about it, Catherine, not on my own account, for all places and professions are alike to me, when I cease to be of any assistance to my suffering countrymen. Unless, indeed, I thought you would stand by me; and yet, I dare not, I cannot ask you to be my wife, for I am homeless and dishonoured; but if I had still the hope of your being mine one day, no matter how far distant, and if, above all, I had the assurance of your love

She interrupted him in a reproachful tone: "Pierce, can you doubt that ? Have you ever doubted it? Do you not know me better? We have been children, happy, careless children, together; what brought joy to one, brought it to the other; there was no sorrow that we did not share in common. As we, in those bright days, had one joy and one sorrow between us, shall the feeling now be less, when all the joy has departed, and only the sorrow remains? Oh no, Pierce, it shall be deeper, truer, and stronger; for joy has many friendssorrow, few. Let, then, our hearts at least be true to each other. Believe that I am the same Catherine."

He came over to her, evidently deeply moved by her words, and stretched out his arms as if to take her into his embrace; but she drew back, raising her hand, as she sadly articulated—

"No, Pierce, it cannot be. Pierce O'Neile and Captain Sweeny are one and the same person. They must be separated, sundered far as the Poles from each other, before Catherine O'Neile can, with truth and honour, say,' Here is my hand, take me.' You know that my heart is yours, as it has ever been, and as it ever will be, no matter what happens; for hearts, alas!

are not like broken toys, exchanged or discarded at pleasure. More is not mine to bestow till Pierce O'Neile and integrity are once more united.”

Then, in an impassioned manner, she continued, her hands clasped, beseechingly and appealingly to him

"Have you forgotten what drove you from your home and friends, and helped to make you the reckless being you have now become? or do you think that I have forgotten? When I gaze upon that old man, and see how it has changed him, Pierce, and feel and know that he is deceiving himself with the secret hope that you will return one day, and with means to buy back your bartered honour, were I a man, under such circumstances, I would toil at anything, however abject, if honest, to win back what I had forfeited-aye, even though I should expire at the moment of victory; for a noble death is preferable at any time to a false, dishonoured life, Oh, think over it, Pierce-dream over it !-live, and, if necessary, die for it, but bring it back-restore it; and that hour, I swear to you, shall see us united in outward form, as we now are, and have been, in heart.”

She moved, as if to go, when Pierce, who seemed lost in thought, and deeply affected by her glowing language, was startled by her gently laying her hand upon his shoulder. He turned to her with a burning face, and said "Catherine, I shall consider all you have been saying to me. Do you know, it would strengthen my purpose very much, if I could by some means or other obtain a glimpse of the interior of the old home, and see once more all the dear faces. Do you see any possibility of it, Catherine?"

The idea seemed new to her, yet she did not oppose it, difficult as she knew its accomplishment would be. Can you not smuggle me in, in some way or other, where I could see without being observed ?"

"I'll consider about it, and without delay too; but at