Part 27 (1/2)

Uncle Ulick, who had heard the story of the ambush, and beyond doubt was one of those who felt more relief than disappointment, stretched his legs uneasily. He longed to comfort her, but he did not know what to say. Moreover, he was afraid of her in this mood.

”You must kill him!” she repeated.

”We'll talk of that,” he said, ”when we see him.”

”You must kill him!” the girl repeated pa.s.sionately. ”Or I will! If you are a man, if you are an Irishman, if you are a Sullivan, kill him, the shame of your race! Or I will!”

”If he had been on our side,” Uncle Ulick answered soberly, ”instead of against us, I'm thinking we should have done better.”

The girl drew in her breath sharply, pierced to the quick by the thought. Simultaneously the big man started, but for another reason.

His eyes were on the window, and they saw a sight which his mind declined to believe. Two men had entered the courtyard--had entered with astonis.h.i.+ng, with petrifying nonchalance, as it seemed to him. For the first was Colonel Sullivan. The second--but the second slunk at the heels of the first with a hang-dog air--was James McMurrough.

Fortunately Flavia, whose eyes were glooming on the cold hearth and the extinct ashes, fit image of her dead hopes, had her back to the cas.e.m.e.nt. Uncle Ulick rose. His thoughts came with a shock against the possibility that Colonel John had the garrison of Tralee at his back!

But, although The McMurrough had all the appearance of a prisoner, Ulick thrust away the notion as soon as it occurred. To clear his mind, he looked to see how the men engaged in getting out the powder were taking it. They had ceased to work, and were staring with all their eyes. Something in their bearing and their att.i.tudes told Uncle Ulick that the notion which had occurred to him had occurred to them, and that they were prepared to run at the least alarm.

”His blood be on his own head!” he muttered. But he did not say it in the tone of a man who meant it.

”Amen!” she cried, her back still turned to the window, her eyes brooding on the cold hearth. The words fell in with her thoughts.

By this time Colonel Sullivan was within four paces of the door. In a handturn he would be in the room, he would be actually in the girl's presence--and Uncle Ulick shrank from the scene which must follow.

Colonel John was, indeed, and plainly, running on his fate. Already the O'Beirnes, awakening from their trance of astonishment, were closing in behind him with grim faces; and short of the garrison of Tralee the big man saw no help for him; well-nigh--so strongly did even he feel on the matter--he desired none. But Flavia must have no part in it. In G.o.d's name, let the girl be clear of it!

The big man took two steps to the door, opened it, slipped through, and closed it behind him. His breast as good as touched that of Colonel Sullivan, who was on the threshold. Behind the Colonel was James McMurrough; behind James were the two O'Beirnes and two others, of whose object, as they cut off the Colonel's retreat, no man who saw their faces could doubt.

For once, in view of the worse things that might happen in the house, Ulick was firm. ”You can't come in!” he said, his face pale and frowning. He had no word of greeting for the Colonel. ”You can't come in!” he repeated, staring straight at him.

The Colonel turned and saw the four men with arms in their hands spreading out behind him. He understood. ”You had better let me in,” he said gently. ”James will talk to them.”

”James----”

”You had better speak to them,” Colonel John continued, addressing his companion. ”And you, Ulick----”

”You can't come in,” Ulick repeated grimly.

James McMurrough interposed in his harshest tone. ”An end to this!” he cried. ”Who the devil are you to bar the door, Ulick! And you, Phelim and Morty, be easy a minute till you hear me speak.”

Ulick still barred the way. ”James,” he said, in a voice little above a whisper, ”you don't know----”

”I know enough!” The McMurrough answered violently. It went sadly against the grain with him to s.h.i.+eld his enemy, but so it must be.

”Curse you, let him in!” he continued fiercely; they were making his task more hard for him. ”And have a care of him,” he added anxiously.

”Do you hear? Have a care of him!”

Uncle Ulick made a last feeble attempt. ”But Flavia,” he said. ”Flavia is there and----”

”Curse the girl!” James answered. ”Get out of the road and let the man in! Is this my house or yours?”

Ulick yielded, as he had yielded so often before. He stood aside.

Colonel John opened the door and entered.