"Down into the cabin, sor, where there's a little door out into the forest. Sure and the artful baste who made it little thought he was going to find us as purty a hiding-place as was ever made. There it is, sor, all ready for us if we hear annyone coming. If we do, down we go and twirl the lid of the pot back over our heads, and then we can either go or shtay." "Can you move the cover when you are down?" "Aisily, sor. I've thried it. Now, then, what do ye say to that?" Humphrey's answer was to hold out his hand and wring that of his companion. There was an ample supply of food in the place for a week, and water and wine. Dinny's ideas respecting their safety seemed to be quite correct, for though voices were heard at a distance, no one approached the place. They had the hidden subterranean tomb-like chamber into which they could retreat; and on the second night, while Dinny was watching and Humphrey, utterly worn-out, was sleeping feverishly and trying to forget the troubles and disappointments of his failure, there was a faint rustling noise heard, and directly after his name was whispered softly from above. "Murther!" cried Dinny, unable to contain himself as he sprang up. His exclamation and the noise he made brought Humphrey from his couch, alert, and ready for any struggle. "What is it?" he said. "Sure, sor, something freckened me. A mouse, I think." "Dinny!" came in a reproachful voice from above. "Mistress Greenheys!" cried Humphrey. "You there?" "Yes. I cam' to try and learn tidings of you. I did not know you were both prisoners." "Sure an' we're not, darlin'," said Dinny. "We only tuk refuge here, so as to be near you. An' where have you been?" "I crept back to my place," said the woman, "and reached it without having been missed." "Then ye're quite free to come and go?" "Yes--quite." "_Erin-go-bragh_!" cried Dinny, excitedly. "Then what ye've got to do, darling, is to go back and come again as soon as ye can wid something to ate, for we shall soon be starved." "Yes, Dinny; I'll come again to-night." "There's a darlin' for ye, sor. But tell us. What are they doing?" "Searching for you far and wide; and the captain is furious. He says he will have you found." "And ye've been quite well, darlin'?" "Yes, Dinny. No, Dinny. I've been fretting to death to know what had become of you." "Sure and I've been quite right, only I wanted to know about you. Nobody's middled wid ye, then?" "No, Dinny--not yet." "Arrah, shpake out now, and say what ye mane wid your `not yet,'" cried Dinny, angrily. "Black Mazzard." "Well, he's shut up." "He escaped the same time that you did." "Eshcaped! Holy Moses!" "That wretch free!" cried Humphrey. "Yes, sir." "Where is he?" "No one knows, sir; but they have parties out searching for him and for you." "Oh! murther! murther!" groaned Dinny. "My heart's bruk entirely. What'll I do at all? Shtop, darlin'; ye must come here."