CHAPTER II.

May 18th.-A proclamation has been issued, which offers £1000 reward for such secret information which would lead to the arrest of Lord Edward Fitzgerald.

Will there be found any one so untrue to his country's interest as to yield to the temptation ?

It has been said that the Government had hinted that if Lord Edward would but make his escape from the country the ports would have been open to him and no hindrance have been put in his way. Of course the offer was rejected, and of course the only alternative left to the authorities is to aim at his arrest. Many however think that Lord Edward is now in France.

and I know better.

But Kevin and Geraldine

Kevin told us to-day in

secret that he is in Dublin-in concealment.

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Only to think!" Kevin continued with a "Only to think of the folly of im prudence in a man like this!—a man to whom

groan.

the country looks, and with whom she entrusts her highest hopes!"

Lord Edward has been in hiding since the arrests of last March. He has meanwhile recklessly exposed his life by walking out at night, receiving company, jumping in and out of a boat on the canal, for the amusement of a child, and visiting his wife in Denzel Street where the maid, who believed her master to be in France, to her surprise found him late one evening sitting by the firelight with Lady Edward. Since then he has continued his visits, but disguised in woman's clothes. He had not been two days in the house of the lady with whom he first found refuge, under the name of Jameson, before the lady's manservant told her he knew well "who the gentleman upstairs was," and showed her his name written in full inside one of the boots which had been sent to be cleaned. It was no thanks to Lord Edward that the man added that "there need be no fear-for he would die to save him."

When Lord Edward, touched with his fidelity, wished to see him he refused, saying "No, I will not look at him, for if they should

take me up I can then swear I never saw him."

The Government, it is said, is now thoroughly alarmed, and thoroughly in earnest; they will carry out the search with all their power.

Kevin does not know where Lord Edward is staying at present, or if he knows he will not tell us.

May 19th.-Last night I was wakened out of a comfortable sleep by a little flying figure in its nightdress, all legs and arms and tumbled hair, coming bursting in at my door, making straight for my bed jumping up, scrambling into it, and cuddling down beside me.

"Ida!" I exclaimed, "what brings you here ?"

"Oh I am so frightened," the child gasped, half crying. "I woke up just now, and thought I heard a noise, and I called Honor and Honor never answered me, and when I went over to her bedside Honor was not in her bed, and I ran to the door to call her, and when I opened the door I saw something like a light and somebody coming down the passage, and I thought it was Honor, and it

was not Honor at all! It was a dreadful man with a black face, Eveleen! and he walked downstairs."

"It was Shane perhaps," I suggested.

"No it was not Shane-Shane has not got a black face. And this man had an awful black face just like the people who come on Hallow Eve dressed up in masks. Only it was not a funny mask like theirs but all black." Ida had time to say no more before Honor came in with a light, looking for her.

She said the child was talking nonsense, and explained everything. She said she had got up to shut a door which was creaking,. and that it must have disturbed Ida who wakened the minute in which she was away.. "It was just a bit of an old black shawl that I was after lapping about my head for dread of the face-ache that scared Miss Ida."

"I saw a man with a black face," persisted" Ida perversely.

"It was half asleep you were," said Honor wrapping her up and taking her in her arms. "I never did see such a child for dreaming quare dreams and making believe they are living truths.”

And she carried Ida-a little sleepy bundle back to her bed in the nursery, half scolding, half reassuring her all the way. "And here am I scared out of my senses to know what had become of you-and you disturbing your sister at this hour of the night!"

“I saw a man with a black face!" Ida murmured sleepily.

To-day her thoughts have been too full of a prospect planned by Honor, to revert to her midnight fancies.

Early this morning I heard her little shrill voice down on the beach calling to Kevin who was going by boat on business of father's with some tenants at Ballycarrig.

"Kevin!" cried Ida, "I am coming with you! Honor says you are going up to Ballycarrig, and she said I might ask you to take me and Terry in the boat-and Terry and I could stop at Ballycarrig cave all day until you were ready to come and fetch us homeand Honor has given me cheese cakes for my luncheon-I have packed them in this basket, and when the basket is empty I am going to fill it with shells-there are all sorts of shells

in Ballycarrig cave, I built a grotto of them