From this topic he could not help reverting, as he pursued his way home, to the hints he had received with respect to Hycy Burke's enemity towards him, the cause of which he could not clearly understand. Hycy Burke had, in general, the character of being a generous, dashing young fellow, with no fault unless a disposition to gallantry and a thoughtless inclination for extravagance; for such were the gentle terms in which habits of seduction and an unscrupulous profligacy in the expenditure of money were clothed by those who at once fleeced and despised him, but who were numerous enough to impress those opinions upon a great number of the people. In turning over matters as they stood between them, he could trace Burke's enemity to no adequate cause; nor indeed could he believe it possible that he entertained any such inveterate feeling of hostility against him. They had of late frequently met, on which occasion Hycy spoke to him with nearly as much cordiality as ever. Still, however, he could not altogether free himself from the conviction, that both Clinton and Fethertonge must have had unquestionable grounds for the hints which they had in such a friendly way thrown out to him. In this mood he was proceeding when he heard the noise of horses' feet behind, and in a few minutes Hycy himself and young Clinton overtook him at a rapid pace. Their conversation was friendly, as usual, when Bryan, on seeing Hycy about to dash off at the same rapid rate, said, “If you are not in a particular hurry, Hycy, I'd wish to have a word with you.” The latter immediately pulled up, exclaiming, “a word, Bryan! ay, a hundred--certainly. Clinton, ride on a bit, will you? till I have some conversation with M'Mahon. Well, Bryan?” “Hycy,” proceeded Bryan, “I always like to be aboveboard. Will you allow me to ask if you have any bad feelings against me?” “Will you answer me another question?” replied Hycy. “If I can I will,” said Bryan. “Well, then,” replied Hycy, “I will answer you most candidly, Bryan--not the slightest; but I do assure you that I thought you had such a feeling against me.” “And you wor right, too,” returned Bryan “for I really had.” “I remember,” proceeded Hycy, “that when I asked you to lend me thirty-five pounds--and by the way that reminds me that I am still pretty deep in your debt--you would neither lend it nor give any satisfactory reason why you refused me; now, what occasioned that feeling, Bryan?” “It's by the merest chance that I happen to have the cause of it in my pocket,” replied M'Mahon, who, as he spoke, handed him the letter which Peety Dhu had delivered to him from Hycy himself. “Read that,” said he, “and I think you'll have no great trouble in understanding why I felt as I did;--an' indeed, Hycy, to tell you the truth, I never had the same opinion of you since.” Hycy, to his utter amazement, read as follows: “My Dear Miss Cavanagh:--