ADVENTURE AT THE CASTLE 45 



Far away behind them on the moonlit road a 

 figm:e had appeared; it was running and shouting 

 and waving its arms. 



" That's him," said Moriarty. " Faith he looks 

 as if he had seen the Banshee — look, miss, there's 

 his hat tumbled off." 



Running was evidently not the baiUff's forte, 

 but he continued the exercise manfully for a 

 quarter of a mile or so, hat in hand, before giving 

 up. When he disappeared from view Miss Grim- 

 shaw felt what we may suppose the more tender- 

 hearted of Alexander Selkirk's marooners felt 

 when Tristan d'Acunha sank from sight beyond 

 the horizon. 



" What will he do with himself? " asked she, 

 her own grievance forgotten for a moment, veiled 

 by the woes of the other one. 



" Faith, I don't know, miss," replied Moriarty; 

 " he can do what he plazes for what I care, but 

 there's one thing he won't do, and that's lay finger 

 on the horses, and it's sorry I am, miss, to have 

 dhriven you out of your way, but sure, wouldn't 

 you have done it yourself if I'd been you and you'd 

 been me and that black baste of a chap puttin' his 

 ugly foot in the master's business? " 



Miss Grimshaw laughed inarather dreary manner. 



" But it isn't his fault." 



" Whose fault, miss? " 



'* That man's; he was only doing his duty." 



*' Faith, and that's the truth," said Moriarty, 

 " and more's the pity of it, as Con Meehan said 



