This puzzled them once more, and they began to think that, there were more present at these bonfires than had ever received baptism; for they could scarcely shake themselves free of the belief that the mysterious stranger either was something supernaturally evil himself, or else the conjurer as aforesaid, who, by all accounts, was not many steps removed from such a personage.

Of the young person who performed this unprecedented and terrible exploit they had little time to take any notice.

Torley Davoren, however, who was one of the spectators, turned round to his wife and whispered, "Unfortunate boy--madman I ought-to say--what devil tempted him to come here ?" "Was it him ?" asked his wife.
"Whist, whist," he replied; "let us say no more about it." In the meantime, although the youthful performer of this daring feat may be said to have passed among them like an arrow from a bow, yet it so happened that the secret of his identity did not rest solely with Torley Davoren.

In a few minutes whisperings began to take place, which spread gradually through the crowd, until at length the name of _Shawn na Middogue_ was openly pronounced, and the secret--now one no longer--was instantly sent abroad through the people, to whom his fearful leap was now no miracle.

The impression so long entertained of his connection with the fairies was thus confirmed, and the black stranger was no other, perhaps, than the king of the fairies himself.
At this period of the proceedings Mrs.Lindsay, in consequence of some significant whispers which were directly levelled at her character, suggested to Maria that having seen enough of these wild proceedings, it would be more advisable to return home--a suggestion to which Maria, whose presence there at all was in deference to her father's wishes, very gladly consented.