"Ho, you ain't," said Phinias. "You'll stay just where you are until you have spoken your mane and dirty words agin our little Miss Pushkeen. The jintlemens will come to see you all in good time, and as soon as ever they have gone, I'll have the greatest pleasure in life in driving ye back to the railway station where ye can take ship for England, and you and your low-down girl Tilly can meet again." "I tell you, I tell you--" said Raynes, almost stupid with rage, "that the little miss you make such a fuss about is only----" "Come out into the yard and tell me about her there," said Phinias. "No, I won't, not while you hold that thing in your hand." "I'm not going out without it, so don't you think it. And I'm standing just here to pervent ye takin' a flyin' lep unbeknownst. Oh, be the powers! We are all right now, I'm thinkin'. Here's master Malachi and 'himself' coming across the fields. They'll be here in no time." "Is he the one they call by the ridiculous name of '_The_'?" asked Raynes. "'Tain't ridiculous. Whist, now, hide yer ignorance if ye can. They have shillelaghs as well as we. You sphake up to him." "I'm not afraid," said Joshua. "To be sure you aren't. How could the father of Tilly mavourneen be afraid?" "That's what I'm thinkin'," said Raynes. "Ah, thin, jintlemen, here ye be. Welcome to my hovel, The Desmond, asthore. Welcome, Master Malachi. The gent is gettin' a bit restive. He's anxious to see ye, to relieve a burden on his mind." "I am, and I don't like those sticks you hold," said Raynes. The man, who for the time being had adopted the name of The Desmond, was in reality Fergus, the heir to that ancient title. He immediately laid his stick on the table. Phinias went out into the yard whistling. Malachi shook hands with Raynes, as though he was his oldest and dearest friend, whom he had not met for at least twenty years. "I hope ye are feelin' comfortable, sir," he said. "Very much so," replied Raynes, "if I might get a breath of the air and not be frightened to death by that queer man. I want to walk over to Desmondstown to see Mr. Desmond." "I brought him to you," said Malachi. "Here's The Desmond. Be careful you don't anger him, or he may raise the stick." Certainly Raynes never felt in a poorer case. Fergus, who already was well acquainted with the story of his beloved little Margot, allowed Raynes to relieve his feelings, looking at him with his steady dark eyes and his calm, unemotional face. Malachi was as usual all twinkles and smiles. Raynes told his story very badly and, when he came to an end, Fergus rose to his feet, and said in his refined, gentlemanly voice, "Well, now, this is no news to me. It is the French stepgrandmother's doing and must be put a stop to. I'll see that it is put a stop to and I'm greatly obliged to you for tellin' me the whole story from first to last, so graphically as you have done, Mr.--Mr. Raynes." "I'm obliged to you, _Mr._ Desmond," said Raynes.