It was now in vain to attempt giving her support, or cheering her spirits.

Depression, debility, apathy, restlessness, and all the symptoms of a breaking constitution and a broken heart, soon began to set in and mark her for an early, and what was worse, an ignominious grave.

It was then that her brothers deemed it full time to act.

Their father, on the night before the day on which poor Raymond was rescued from death, observed them secretly preparing firearms,--for they had already, as the reader knows, satisfied themselves that M'Clutchy, junior, would not fight--took an opportunity of securing their weapons in a place where he knew they could not be found.

This, however, was of little avail--they told him it must and should be done, and that neither he nor any other individual in existence should debar them from the execution of their just, calm, and reasonable vengeance--for such were their very words.