“We 'll be all away out of this, Master Tom, you know, before that. We 'll be up in Kildare, where we 'll see the boys exercising and marching; that's what 'ill do your heart good to look at. But before we go, you 'll have to take the oath, for I'm answerable for you all this time with my own head; not that I care for that same, but others might mistrust ye.” “Halloo!” cried the Frenchman, from within; “I hope you have finished your conference there, for you seem to forget there's no fire in this room.” “Yes, sir; and I beg a thousand pardons,” said Darby, servilely. “And Master Tom only wants to bid you goodby before he goes.” “Goes! goes where? Are you so soon tired of me?” said he, in an accent of most winning sweetness. “He's obliged to be at the Curragh, at the meeting there,” said Darby, answering for me. “What meeting? I never heard of it.” “It 's a review, sir, of the throops, that 's to be by moonlight.” “A review!” said the Frenchman, with a scornful laugh. “And do you call this midnight assembly of marauding savages a review?” Darby's face grew dark with rage, and for a second I thought he would have sprung on his assailant; but with a fawning, shrewd smile he lisped out,-- “It's what they call it. Captain; sure the poor boys knows no better.” “Are you going to this review?” said the Frenchman, with an ironical pronunciation of the word. “I scarce know where to go, or what to do,” said I, in a tone of despairing sadness; “any certainty would be preferable to the doubts that harass me.” “Stay with me,” said the Frenchman, interrupting me and laying his hand on my shoulder; “we shall be companions to each other. Your friend here knows I can teach you many things that may be useful to you hereafter; and perhaps, with all humility I may say, your stay will be as profitable as at the camp yonder.” “I should not like to desert one who has been so kind to me as Darby; and if he wishes--” Before I could finish my sentence, the door was opened by a key from without, and Dalton, as he was called, stood amongst us. “What, Darby!” said he, in a voice of something like emotion; “not gone yet! You know I forbid you coming up here; I suspected what you would be at. Come, lose no more time; we 'll take care of Mr. Burke for you.” Darby hung his head sorrowfully, and left the room without speaking, followed by Dalton, whose voice I heard in a tone of anger as he descended the stairs. There was a certain openness, an easy air of careless freedom, in the young Frenchman, which made me feel at home in his company almost the very moment of our acquaintance; and when he asked some questions about myself and my family, I hesitated not to tell him my entire history, with the causes which had first brought me into Darby's society, and led me to imbibe his doctrines and opinions. He paused when I finished, and after reflecting for some minutes, he looked me gravely in the face, and said,-- “But you are aware of the place you are now in?”