“Silence, Mogue; not another word on that subject. I am obliged to you, in the meantime, for you kindness, and the interest you feel for us.” “That my bed may be made in heaven, thin, but I do feel all you say; and why shouldn't I? But I said I had a thing or two to mention, an' although it goes against my heart to say it, still I like your family too well, not to throw you out a hint upon it. 'Tis regardin' Jerry Joyce, ay--an' Mr. M'Carthy too, sir.” “Jerry Joyce and M'Carthy; well, what about them? Jerry's a rollicking shallow fool, but honest, I think.” “Well, Mr. Alick, this is to be buried between you and me. I say, don't trust him; an' as for M'Carthy, it doesn't become the likes o' me to disparage him; but if there's not a traitor to this family in his coat, I'm not here. It's purty well known that he's a Whiteboy; he was a caravat it seems, two years agone, and was wid ould _Paudeen Gar_ when Hanly was hanged for--” “And who was Paudeen Gar?” asked the other, interrupting him. “He was the head o' the Shanavests, and it so happened, that one Hanly, who was head of the Moyle Bangers, as they wor called, was hanged only for burnin' the house of a man that tuck a farm over another man's head. Now the Shanavests and the Moyle Rangers, you see, bein' bitther enemies, the Shanavests prosecuted Hanly for the burning, and on the day of his execution, Paudeen Gar stayed under the gallows, and said he wouldn't lave the place till he'd see the _caravat_ (* Carvat; fact--such is their origin) put about Hanly's neck; an' from that out the Moyle Bangers was never called anything but Caravats.” “But what does Shanavest mean?” “It manes an ould waistcoat; that is, it's the Irish for an ould waistcoat, and Paudeen Gar's men were called Shanavests, bekaise when they went out to swear the people against tithes and priests' dues, they put ould waistcoats about them for fraid o' bein' known.” “And you tell me that McCarthy's a White-boy?” “Wasn't he a night wid them? and didn't he come home in the mornin' wid his face blackened?” “Well, but he accounted very satisfactorily for that.” “I'm a friend to your family, Mr. Alick; and what I tell you is thrue; an' by the same token, Miss Julia isn't safe in the one house wid him.” “Come, come, Mogue, don't attempt' to make any illusion of that kind. You are an honest but over-anxious fool, and like many a one in this world, would make mountains out of mole-hills.” “Well, sir,” replied Mogue, somewhat downcast, “when the time comes I'll let you know why I say so. Don't trust either o' them, I say, for the present, at any rate; for I hope soon to know more about them.” “Well, then, Mogue,” said Alick, laughing, “I'll keep my eye on them.”