"'Are you there, Pat Ryan,' says I?
"'Who is it calls Pat Ryan?' says he.
"'It's myself, Larry, Mr. Davenant's boy.'
"'Why, I thought you had gone,' says he. 'Are you sure it's yourself?' says he.
"'And who else should it be, Pat Ryan? Don't yer know my voice?'
"By this time I had got into the corner where he slept, and touched him.
"'I am glad to feel you, Larry,' says he, 'for I wasn't sure that you hadn't fallen in with the troopers, and it wasn't your ghost that come to visit me.'
"'Whist,' says I, 'I have no time to waste upon ye. The master and the troops are stationed just across the river, at Ballygan. Mr. Davenant has given me a letter for Miss Conyers, telling her all about it. I don't exactly know what he said, and maybe she would like it given privately, so do you hand it to Bridget in the morning, and ask her to give it to her mistress, and to hand over to you any answer there may be. I will come across for it tomorrow night. But that's not all, Pat. You know the devil's work that William's men have been carrying on, on the march.'
"'Av course, everyone has heard the tales of the villains' doings, Larry.'
"'Well, the young master is mighty anxious about it, as you may guess. Has Mr. Conyers come?'