"I found them together behind the garden not many minutes ago," replied
Sullivan. "Donnel here seen them as well as I did--deny it she can't;
an' now let her say what brought her there to meet him, or rather what
brought him all the way to meet her? Answer me that, you disgrace to the
name--answer me at wanst!"

The poor girl trembled and became so weak as to be scarcely able to
stand: in fact, she durst not raise her eye to meet that of either
parent, but stood condemned and incapable of utterance.

The night had now nearly set in, and one of her little sisters entered
with a rush candle in her hand, the light of which, as it fell dimly
and feebly on the group, gave to the proceedings a wild and impressive
appearance. The prophecy-man, with his dark, stern look, peculiar nose,
and black raven hair that fell thickly over his shoulders, contrasted
strongly with the fair, artless countenance and beautiful figure of
the girl who stood beside him, whilst over opposite them were Sullivan
himself and his wife, their faces pale with sorrow, anxiety, and
indignation.

"Give me the candle," proceeded her father; "hand it to me, child, and
leave the room; then," he proceeded, holding it up to a great-coat of
frieze which hung against the wall--"there's his coat--there's my lovin'
brother's coat; look upon it now, an' ax yourself what do you desarve
for meeting against our will an' consint the son of him that has the
murdher of the man that owned it on his hands an' on his heart? What do
you desarve, I say?"

The girl spoke not, but the black prophet, struck by the words and the
unexpected appearance of the murdered man's coat, started; in a moment,