He did as she requested, and became more and more interested as she proceeded with her description, interrupting her every now and again with questions. Was she sure the girl had blue eyes, he asked, and how could she tell what colour the eyes were by the light of the moon only; Mrs Dempsey's reply to which being that the girl's whole body seemed to be illuminated from within, in such a manner that every detail could be seen, almost, if not quite, as clearly as if she had been standing in the full glare of an electric light. At the conclusion of her narrative Mrs Dempsey was further questioned by the Count. "Had she," he inquired, "ever been told that he was partly Irish, because," he added, on receiving a negative reply, "I am, and my real name is O'Neill, my great-great-grandfather having assumed the name of Asioli in order to come into some property when the family, which came from the south of Ireland, settled in Italy, many, many years ago. But what will, I am sure, be of considerable interest to you is the fact that this branch of the O'Neills, the branch to which I belong, is haunted by a Banshee, and that that Banshee has, I believe--since the description of it given me by various members of my family tallies with the description you have given me of the girl you saw standing by me--appeared to you. I would add that it never reveals itself, excepting when an O'Neill is about to die, and as I am quite the last of my line, I cannot conceive any reason for its having thus appeared three nights in succession, unless, of course, it is to predict my own end." Mrs Dempsey was not long left in doubt. On the morrow the Count was summoned to Venice on urgent business, and on his way to the railway depôt he suddenly dropped down dead, the excitement and exertion having, so it was supposed, proved too much for his heart, which was known to be weak. Said to be descended from the younger of the two sons of King Milesius, it certainly is not surprising that the O'Neills[7] should possess a Banshee--indeed, it would be surprising if they did not--but I have found it somewhat difficult to trace. However, according to Lady Wilde in her "Irish Wonders," p. 112, there is a room at Shane Castle which is strictly set aside for it.