‘He told you there was a price upon his head?’
‘Yes, a few hundred pounds, I forget how much, but he asked me this morning if I did not feel tempted to give him up and earn the reward.’
Kate leaned her head upon her hand, and seemed lost in thought.
‘They will scarcely dare to come and search for him here,’ said she; and, after a pause, added, ‘And yet I suspect that the chief constable, Mr. Curtis, owes, or thinks he owes, us a grudge: he might not be sorry to pass this slight upon papa.’ And she pondered for some time over the thought.
‘Do you think he can escape?’ asked Nina eagerly.
‘Who, Donogan?’
‘Of course—Donogan.’
‘Yes, I suspect he will: these men have popular feeling with them, even amongst many who do not share their opinions. Have you lived long enough amongst us, Nina, to know that we all hate the law? In some shape or other it represents to the Irish mind a tyranny.’
‘You are Greeks without their acuteness,’ said Nina.
‘I’ll not say that,’ said Kate hastily. ‘It is true I know nothing of your people, but I think I could aver that for a shrewd calculation of the cost of a venture, for knowing when caution and when daring will best succeed, the Irish peasant has scarcely a superior anywhere.’