“You’ve told me the truth for once,” she said ungraciously. “That man met the officer a mile out of town on the road to Rosivera.” Jimmy was generous. He did not attempt to humiliate Miss Blow. He pursued his policy of trying to soothe her. An hour passed. Two hours passed. Even Miss Blow’s anger began to give way to anxiety. What if Mr. Goddard was himself a victim to the mysterious gang which had already made away with seven men? He might have gone the whole way to Rosivera. He might have fallen into some craftily arranged ambush on the road. Fear laid hold on her heart. Jimmy O’Loughlin, who was a little puzzled but not particularly anxious, seized his opportunity. “It’ll be better for you,” he said, “to go to your bed, you and the rest of the ladies, where you’ll be safe till the morning. You’ll hardly be expecting any other man to be going out into the darkness of the night, risking his life maybe, to satisfy you. Not but what there’s many a one would do it. I’d do it myself if I saw any good would come out of it.” Miss Blow and Miss Farquharson consulted together anxiously. This fresh disaster had gone a long way towards cowing them. They were not prepared to insist on the sacrifice of more human life. Mrs. Dick wept noisily and unrebuked. Mrs. Sanders became very white and her hands trembled. “You’ll be safe in your beds anyway,” said Jimmy. “You can turn the key in the door of every room in this house barring the one I sleep in myself, for the lock of it is gone wrong on me, and since poor Patsy Devlin went from us there isn’t a man about the place fit to settle it.” “Let us go,” said Mrs. Dick, sobbing. “I want to be somewhere at peace. I don’t care---- Oh, poor Richard!” “You’re right, ma’am,” said Jimmy; “it’ll be better for you. I have a dog in the yard that’ll bark fit to wake the dead if e’er a one comes near the house during the night; and I’ll leave word with Bridgy that she’s to waken you in good time if so be anything was to happen; but with the help of God there’ll be no need for that.” “Come,” said Miss Blow at last; “we can do no more to-night. Let us get some sleep, if any of us are able to sleep.” CHAPTER XXIV It was three o’clock in the afternoon of the day which followed their capture, and the two Members of Parliament showed no signs of becoming reconciled to their situation. Mr. Sanders grumbled and occasionally swore. Mr. Dick passed from bursts of violent rage to fits of lamentation over the desolate condition of Mrs. Dick. Dr. O’Grady and Patsy Devlin bore with them patiently for a long time. But there are limits to human endurance. After a consultation with Patsy, the doctor undertook to speak seriously to the unreasonably afflicted men. The bearded anarchist who usually attended to the wants of the prisoners, carried off the dinner things. Dr. O’Grady pulled Mr. Dick’s bed out to the middle of the floor.