At first, Frank had been annoyed at the interruption; but, as he learned the cause of it, he gave his full attention to the matter, and only interrupted the narrator by exclamations of horror and disgust. When Doctor Colligan had finished, Lord Ballindine insisted on repeating the whole affair to Mr Armstrong. “I could not take upon myself,” said he, “to advise you what to do; much less to tell you what you should do. There is only one thing clear; you cannot let things rest as they are. Armstrong is a man of the world, and will know what to do; you cannot object to talking the matter over with him.” Colligan consented: and Armstrong, having been summoned, drove the doctor’s buggy up alongside of Lord Ballindine’s gig. “Armstrong,” said Frank, “I have just heard the most horrid story that ever came to my ears. That wretch, Barry Lynch, has tried to induce Doctor Colligan to poison his sister!” “What!” shouted Armstrong; “to poison his sister?” “Gently, Mr Armstrong; pray don’t speak so loud, or it’ll be all through the country in no time.” “Poison his sister!” repeated Armstrong. “Oh, it’ll hang him! There’s no doubt it’ll hang him! Of course you’ll take the doctor’s information?” “But the doctor hasn’t tendered me any information,” said Frank, stopping his horse, so that Armstrong was able to get close up to his elbow. “But I presume it is his intention to do so?” said the parson. “I should choose to have another magistrate present then,” said Frank. “Really, Doctor Colligan, I think the best thing you can do is to come before myself and the stipendiary magistrate at Tuam. We shall be sure to find Brew at home to-day.” “But, my lord,” said Colligan, “I really had no intention of doing that. I have no witnesses. I can prove nothing. Indeed, I can’t say he ever asked me to do the deed: he didn’t say anything I could charge him with as a crime: he only offered me the farm if his sister should die. But I knew what he meant; there was no mistaking it: I saw it in his eye.” “And what did you do, Doctor Colligan, at the time?” said the parson. “I hardly remember,” said the doctor; “I was so flurried. But I know I knocked him down, and then I rushed out of the room. I believe I threatened I’d have him hung.” “But you did knock him down?” “Oh, I did. He was sprawling on the ground when I left him.” “You’re quite sure you knocked him down?” repeated the parson. “The divil a doubt on earth about that!” replied Colligan. “I tell you, when I left the room he was on his back among the chairs.” “And you did not hear a word from him since?” “Not a word.”