The persons whom Walter saw were in communication with the disaffected in
all parts of the country, and agreed in the opinion that a general rising
should be delayed, until some striking success was obtained by the Irish
army, when the whole country would rise and fall upon the enemy wherever
met with. The plans for a rising having been discussed and arranged,
after several interviews, at some of which most of the leaders of the
movement were present, Walter prepared to start again for the camp, with
the news that the first Irish victory would be followed by a rising
throughout the country, aided by great conflagrations, if not by a
serious movement in Dublin.
The negotiations had occupied over a fortnight. During the first ten
days, Larry, who always kept watch outside the house Walter was visiting,
reported that nothing whatever had occurred that was in the slightest
degree suspicious. Then he told Walter, on his retiring to their
lodgings, that he fancied their footsteps were followed.
"Do you think so, Larry?"
"I do, yer honour," Larry replied earnestly. "Three times, when you were
in the house, the same man came along the street, and each time I saw him
look up at the windows, and somehow I felt that he was following us on
our way back.
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