Now this was hardly true, for, from something they had heard from Ruth, both Harry and my sister Frances thought that Thomas May had taken away the caricature, intending to replace it.
'Well, never mind, my lad,' said Major Trenton, laughing, ''tis a monstrous fine joke, anyway, and, faith, I sent one of the copies to the Governor himself. 'Twill amuse him hugely.'
Presently my mother and my two sisters joined the group on the verandah, and as they were all talking and laughing together, Ruth Kenna came to my mother and said that her father had just come with a basket of fresh fish and would like to see her for a minute. I, being the youngest boy of the family, and over-fond—so my brothers said—of hanging on to mammy's apron-strings, as well as being anxious to see the fish, followed her out on to the back verandah, where black-browed, dark-faced Patrick Kenna awaited her.
''Tis a fine dark night coming on, ma'am,' he said in a low voice. 'The wind is north-east and 'twill hould well till daylight. Then 'twill come away from the south-east, sure enough. They should be there long before midnight and out of sight of land before the dawn.'
'Yes, yes, Patrick,' said my mother, hurriedly. 'I shall pray to-night to God for those in peril on the sea; and to forgive us for any wrong we may have done in this matter.'
'No harm can iver come to any wan in this house,' said the man, earnestly, raising her hand to his lips, 'for the blessin' av God an' the Holy Virgin is upon it.'
My mother pressed his hand. 'Good-bye, Patrick. I do hope all may go well;' and with this she went away.
Kenna raised his hat and turned to go, when Walter Trenfield came to the foot of the verandah steps and stopped him.
'Let me come with you,' he said, 'and bid Tom good-bye.'
'No,' answered Kenna, roughly, 'neither you nor I nor any wan else must go near Nobby's to-night; matthers are goin' well enough, an' no folly of yours shall bring desthruction upon them. As it is, the constables suspect me, and are now watching my house.'