“What’s this?”

“My lady exaggerates,” smiled my lord. “ ’Tis merely that I had the honour to catch her as she fell down the steps this morning.”

O’Hara looked relieved.

“Ye are not hurt, alanna?”

“Gracious, no! But I had to do something to show my gratitude⁠—and I was sure that you would never expose my fraud⁠—so I⁠—But,” as a sudden thought struck her, “you seem to know my highwayman!”

“Sure an’ I do, Molly. ’Tis none other than Jack Carstares of whom ye’ve often heard me speak!”

She turned round eyes of wonderment upon my lord.