The ensuing day McKenna met and conferred with Linden, who was thus fully informed of his progress. After this, he made up his mind that it had become his plain and open duty to cultivate the intimate companionship of Kerrigan, who was proving such a valuable informant. In order to gain further grace in the Bodymaster’s eyes—also to please himself, it may well be believed—he resolved to give desperate siege to the heart of the handsome sister of Mrs. Kerrigan. To resolve was to act. Visiting the barber, he caused his wig to be properly dressed, face well cleansed, and beard and mustache nicely trimmed. Then attiring himself in his best clothing—none too fine at that, but much better than the garments he usually wore—he thought he was ready to start on the wooing expedition. It appears McKenna had soon learned to forget Pat Hester’s daughter. But then, he argued, Miss Higgins was the earlier claimant for his attention. Had she not commenced the courtship at the Polish wedding? He was very sure of that. His sympathies could not have been earnestly enlisted with the other lady. In Miss Higgins he really believed he might easily be permanently interested. While this was the case, he felt forced to confess he was not so much paying attention to Miss Higgins, for Miss Higgins’ own sake, as for the sake of her wicked little brother-in-law, whose cruel works would yet bring him within prison walls, if not beneath the gallows tree. Kerrigan’s little, round face expanded in a broad grin when he saw the particular pains McKenna was taking to make himself genteel, and he put on his best manner as he presented the young man to his fair sister-in-law. Jimmy was somewhat puzzled when Miss Higgins blushed crimson, as she extended her hand, and remarked that she “believed she had seen the gentleman once before.” “Yes!” explained McKenna, the red blood also mantling his forehead and face. “I remember meeting you at a party, some months ago!” But he added, for her encouragement, in a low tone of voice: “Never fear, Miss! I’ll say nothing further about it!” “Thank you,” said Miss Higgins, below her breath. They were very commonplace words, as the detective afterward thought, but they sounded very musical to his ear, that evening, coming from the handsome young lady’s lips.