Pat Brady was sitting over the kitchen fire, smoking. Though this man was still hanging about the place, and had not come to an actual rupture with his master, still there had been no cordiality or confidence between them since Brady had failed to induce Thady to keep his appointment at the widow Mulready's; and for the last two days not even a single word had passed between them. Now, however, there was no one else but Pat about the place, and Thady felt that he must tell some one of the deed that he had done. It would be useless to consult his father; his sister was already insensible; the two girls would be worse than useless; besides, he could not now conceal the deed; he could not leave the body to lie there on the road. "Brady," said he, "come out; I want to spake to you. Is there a lanthern in the place at all?" "No, Mr. Thady, there is not," said he, without moving; "what is it you want to-night?" "Come out, and bring a lighted candle, if you can." Brady now saw from his master's pale face, and fear-struck expression, that something extraordinary had happened, and he followed him with a candle under his hat; but the precaution was useless, the wind blew it out at once. "Pat," said Thady, as soon as the two were out before the front door; "Pat," and he didn't know how to pronounce the thing he wished to tell. "Good God! Mr. Thady, what's the matther? has anything happened the owld man?" "What owld man?" "Your father." "No, nothing's happened him; but--but Captain Ussher is dead!" "Gracious glory--no! why he was laving this for good and all this night. And how did he die?"--and he whispered in his master's ear--"did the boys do for him?" "I killed him by myself," answered Thady, in a whisper. "You killed him, Mr. Thady ah! now, you're joking." "Stop!" said Thady--for they were now in the avenue--"joking or not, his body is somewhere here;--and he had Feemy here, dragging her along the road, and I struck him with my stick across the head, and now they'll say I've murdhered him." Brady soon touched the body with his foot; and the two raised it together, and put it off the path on the grass, and then held a council together, as to what steps had better be taken. Brady, after his first surprise and awe at hearing of Ussher's death was over, spoke of it very unconcernedly, and rather as a good thing done than otherwise. He recommended his master to get out of the way; he advised him at once to go down to Drumleesh and find out Joe Reynolds; he assured Thady that the man would even now be willing to befriend him and get him out of harm's way. He told him that Reynolds and others had places up in the mountains where he might lie concealed, and where the police would never be able to find him; and that if he only got out of the way for a time, it might probably not be found murder by the Coroner, and that in that case he could return quietly to Ballycloran.