"But he has arms," said Conachar.

"And so have we, and hands, and legs, and feet. Why, sure, Conachar,
you are not afraid of one man?"

"Afraid!" answered Conachar, indignant at the insinuation; "you
shall soon know if I am afraid."

"Now you are as far on the other side of the mark, thou foolish
boy: thy temper has no middle course; there is no occasion to make
a brawl, though we do not run. Walk thou before with Catharine,
and I will take thy place. We cannot be exposed to danger so near
home as we are."

The glover fell behind accordingly, and certainly observed a person
keep so close to them as, the time and place considered, justified
some suspicion. When they crossed the street, he also crossed it,
and when they advanced or slackened their pace, the stranger's
was in proportion accelerated or diminished. The matter would have
been of very little consequence had Simon Glover been alone; but
the beauty of his daughter might render her the object of some
profligate scheme, in a country where the laws afforded such slight
protection to those who had not the means to defend themselves.

Conachar and his fair charge having arrived on the threshold
of their own apartment, which was opened to them by an old female
servant, the burgher's uneasiness was ended. Determined, however,
to ascertain, if possible, whether there had been any cause for it,
he called out to the man whose motions had occasioned the alarm,