Alas! it was easy to promise.
The reason of my mistress's summons was for me to take an officer, who had just ridden over in hot haste from Carndonagh, by boat to Rathmullan.

He was to rejoin his regiment that night, and being a distant kinsman of my lady had presumed on his relationship to beg a passage across the lough by the shortest way.
You may guess if I cast loose the boat with a merry heart, and bade farewell to my chance of seeing Tim, let alone of obeying my mother's call to Kilgorman.
More than that, this voyage to Rathmullan reminded me of another time when my crew was more to my taste than this lumbering trooper; and, as if to complete my trouble, Miss Kit came down gaily to the jetty to speed the parting guest.
"It's a pity we could not keep you, Captain Lestrange, till my father returned.

You must come again when times are quieter." "That'll not be this year or next," said the young officer; "but whenever it is, I could hardly find you looking prettier than you are now, Miss Gorman." "Wait till you see," said she, with a saucy laugh, waving her hand as we pushed off.
I had it in my heart to upset the boat as the fellow stood and kissed his hand.
"Sit down, sir, if you please, and trim the boat," I said.

"By your leave, sir, till I haul the sail." And before he was aware of it I hauled away, and left him kissing his hand to a sheet of white canvas that interposed between him and my little mistress.
That solaced me vastly.
Once out on the lough I found my passenger, who was little more than a lad of twenty, friendly enough, and inclined to while away the voyage with chat.
"So the master's at Malin, after the smugglers ?" said he.
"Troth, yes," said I; "but they're hard boys to catch." "I wouldn't thank you for fools that ran into your arms," said he.
"'Deed you won't find many such in these parts." "What's that building on the far point there ?" he asked presently, pointing to Kilgorman.
"That's Kilgorman House, colonel." "Oh! There's some story about that house surely.

Somebody was murdered or robbed--what was it ?" "His honour's brother, Terence Gorman, owned it.