The light on Ballyfad, which had so brightly blazed a short half-hour before, the third light only] from the castle walls, was black as night already; while those two nigher home, and those from Muckla Hill to Shranamuck, flared broadly to the sky as ever. That broad and rapidly-increasing band of blackness indicated past a doubt the approach of the Puritan invaders. Desmond now hesitated not a moment, but was just rushing down the stair to seek O'Brien, when he heard steps ascending-and, followed by his page, the earl stood before him. "What next, good cousin?" cried O'Brien cheerfully. “The men are all gone forth, save a score of guardsmen. We will have beef enough ere now to feed five hundred men a twelvemonth." "We shall need it," replied Desmond gravely. "I pray you send the boy for Ulick; you have great confidence in him?" "Unlimited! Go seek him, Torlogh!" "And lead him hither, but secretly; and, for your life! let no man know where we hold council." The boy bowed and left the room; and rapidly Desmond shewed all that he had seen, all that he had deduced, all that was now as clear as day. The earl too recognised the priest's handkerchief—and it remained only to discover whither the passage led, and what must be done to oppose the Puritans. Ulick returned with the page; and merely telling him in brief that the O'Neil was surely proved a traitor, and desiring him, with Con's assistance, and such of the vassals as should be needed, to cast him as quietly as might be into the dungeon cell beneath the massy-more, the earl gave him his signet-ring, dismissed the page, and turned once more to hold council with his best adviser. Two things were to be first determined—whether to abide the Puritans within the walls, or break forth and attempt to join the ranks of Ormond. Whether to attach the priest at once for treason, or to meet his deep villany with a face of profound confidence. And it was well nigh impossible to decide on either course, so great and so nicely-balanced were the obstacles to all. The impossibility of any long defence, and the general good of the royal cause, calling, as it did, loudly for a concentration of its partizans, plead loudly for an attempt to break forth and join the duke in the north. The number of ladies in the castle, the great age and infirmity of the countess, whom it were equally impossible to carry with them or to abandon to the Puritans, seemed to make flight impracticable, as surrender and resistance were already hopeless. Again, sound policy, and self-defence, and justice appeared all alike to demand putting the priest at least in temporary durance, until the present peril should be overpast. While on the other hand, the difficulty of believing that, however he might plot, and scheme, and struggle for ascendancy and power among his own people, a priest of the true church should play the traitor, yielding up his own sheepfold to the wolf, rendered even those two clear-headed and unsuperstitious leaders doubtful what it were best to do, in very truth and wisdom. When policy, however, and expediency were considered, both felt that it were to risk the very foundation of their own honor and authority, even over the most devoted of the clan, to attempt to lay the secular arm upon the revered person of the priest. This point was, therefore, soon determined-to keep the priest under strict surveillance, but to hazard no overt action until he should so commit himself as to leave not a doubt of his guilt. While they were yet debating what should be done on the greater and more momentous question, a bugle was so clearly and so shrilly winded at the foot of the castle hill, before the lower gate-house, that Desmond and O'Brien felt instantly convinced that the crisis was at hand. So still was the night, and so small the actual distance in a direct line, although the traverses of the ascent made it both long and tedious, that they could hear a brief parley from the barbican, though the words they might not distinguish; and then the creaking of the rising grate, and the clatter of the falling drawbridge, met their ears. Without one word, with scarcely one glance interchanged, they hurried down the winding stair, and reached the castle court, just as Ulick returned, breathless, pale, and agitated, to state that Hugh O'Neil could not be found anywhere within the castle. Interesting as at any other time such news would have been to both the hearers, all thought of their own danger; all care for the miserable traitor was merged in the absorbing, thrilling eagerness, with which they heard from without the walls the cry: 66 Tidings from the host! A messenger from the duke!” "The gates were thrown open at the word, and supported on each side by three of the earl's men-at-arms, whose united strength barely sufficed to keep the wretched jade from falling, spur-galled, and foam-embossed, what had once been a noble courser reeled into the court, bearing a man so spent and exhausted that he could scarce keep his saddle. His last breath had well-nigh been expended in that keen bugle blast. They lifted him from the saddle; and as they loosed their hold upon the horse, it stumbled, rolled over, and expired within a yard of the earl's feet; while the rider, almost fainting, could not speak a word, though the fate of hundreds hung upon his tongue, and gold, more than he ever saw or dreamed of, would have recompensed his ready speech. CHAPTER VIII. "There was a deep ravine that lay The many fallen before the few. Huge cliffs and toppling crags were piled, THE FIRE-WORSHIPPERS. "BRING him wine-bring him wine," exclaimed O'Brien ; see you not that he is so much exhausted that he cannot speak! And you, the rest of you, fall back to your posts; the morning must ere long be breaking. How wears the night Torlogh ?" "It wants as yet two hours of day, my lord," replied the page; but here is the wine." 66 A large goblet was poured out and handed to the messenger, and he quaffed it as one to whose lips any liquid had been long a stranger-then drew a long, deep breath, shook himself till his iron brigantine rattled upon his back; and then said these words only: 66 For your private ear, my lord of Thomond." "Come, Florence," said the earl; "you shall pass for mine ear this once. Lead the man to the little hall, Torlogh. And you, Con and Ulick, make closer search for him you know of; he must be within the walls of the castle." And with the words he turned into the corps de logis of the castle, and entering the little hall, which passed, in those rude days, and that half-civilised realm, as a sort of library; for there were a case or two of ponderous tomes against the wall, and standish, with pens and parchment, on the board, and one or two maps hanging upon the wainscoating, among coats of curious antiquated armor, hunting-poles, bugle-horns, crossbows and other implements of sylvan warfare hanging from antlers of the deer and elk, and of that huge fossil stag, larger, five-fold, than any living species of the cervine race-which is still found in the bogs of Ireland. Here, flinging himself into a high-backed arm-chair, and motioning Colonel Desmond to another "Now then, my man," he said; "you may speak freely. I am Dermot O'Brien, Earl of Thomond; and this is Colonel Florence Desmond, whom everybody knows, on either side, for one of the king's truest servants, and best soldiers. says the Duke of Ormond ?" What "His Grace was assailed in his quarters, the night before the last, my lord," replied the man, after bowing lowly to the great personages he addressed, "by an unexpected sally of the whole garrison, under the Roundhead Jones; and was so hardly handled, in fact so much cut up-losing above three thousand men in killed and wounded-that he deemed it advisable -the rather that he heard the next of Cromwell's landing on the coast with twelve thousand foot, and two thousand superb horse-to raise the siege of Dublin instantly, and to retreat upon Tredagh; where, deeming himself now too weak to cope with the enemy in the open field, he proposes to establish a place d'armes, and maintain himself until such time as he may again gather head enough to take the initiative. Here are his grace's cypher and sign-manual. He lacked the time to write, beyond the words you will find there set down." my con Those words were "Trust the bearer. He has fidence, and can give tidings of our movements.-Ormond.” "I know your face, it seems to me, good fellow," said Des"Have we not met before ?" mond. "And I knew yours, Colonel, from the first." "But your name?" asked Desmond! "You saved my life at the taking of Breda!" "What-my old friend, Shaun McMorris! But you are sorely changed." |