Ormond

-room, between ten and eleven o'clock at night, accompanied by what he called his rear-guard, veterans of the old school of good fellows, who at those times in Ireland - times long since p

xious to conversation, and, to me, the most formidable; all my faculties are spell-bound - here I am like a bird in a

k was a favourite, and they rejoiced when he came among them; because, as they o

have no more of these permanent circle

ane, "to have no more permanent sittings at Castle Hermitage; but when gentlemen ar

in their music? There's many here who, to my knowledge, can caper as well as the

d not ask any of these young ladies to waste their breath and the

iting for us; and the young beaux deserted to your tea-table a long hour ag

the third time of asking?" cried a shar

his shoulder to the curate: then aloud he replied to the lady, "Miss Black, you are three

or both are as cold as stones -

e, looking at her watch, and se

ship?" asked Miss Black. "I have

said Sir Ulick, walking up to the tea-table, and giving her a look

say something in a fondling tone; and in a most conciliatory manner she we

Miss Black," said he, drawing away his ar

, "standing here like lovers, talking to

d for the first time this night - Lady O'Shane was perhaps the last wom

he power of assuming whatever manner he chose, from the audacity of the callous profligate to the deference of the accomplished courtier - the capability of adapting his conversation to his company and his views, whether his object were "to set the senseless table in

tern lady, severe on the times, and, not unfrequently, lecturing young men gratis. Now Sir Ulick O'Shane was a sinner; how then could he please a saint? He did, however - but the saint did not please him - though she set to work for the good of his soul, and in her own person relaxed, to please his taste, even to the wearing of rouge and pearl-powder, and false hair, and false eyebrows, and all the falsifications which the setters-up could furnish. But after she had purchased all of youth which age can purchase for money, it would not do. The Widow Scraggs might, with her "lack lustre" eyes, have speculated for ever in vain upon Sir Ulick, but that, fortunately for her passion, at one and the same time, the Irish ministry were turned out, and an Irish canal burst. Sir Ulick losing his place by the change of ministry, and one half of his fortune by the canal, in which it had been sunk; and having spent in unsubstantial schemes and splendid living more than the other half; now, in desperate misery, laid hold of the Widow Scraggs. After a nine days' courtship she became a bride, and she and her plum in the stocks - but not her messuage, house, and lands, in Kent - became the property of Sir Ulick O'Shane. "Love was then lord of all" with her, and she was now to accompany Sir Ulick to Ireland. Late in life she was carried to a new country, and set down among a people whom she had all her previous days been taught to hold in contempt or aversion: she drea

of the disadvantage of having estranged such a family connexion, and fully capable of appreciating the value of her friendship, had of late years taken infinite pains to redeem himself in Lady Annaly's opinion. His consummate address, aided and abetted and concealed as it was by his off-hand manner, would scarcely have succeeded, had it not been supported also by some substantial good qualities, especially by the natural candour and generosity of his disposition. In favour of the originally strong, and, through all his errors, wonderfully surviving taste for virtue, some of his manifold transgressions might be forgiven: there was much hope and promise of amendment; and besides, to state things just as they were, he had propitiated the mother, irresistibly, by his enthusiastic admiration of the daughter - so that Lady Annaly had at last consented to revisit Castle Hermitage. Her ladyship and her daughter were now on this reconciliation visit; Sir Ulick was extremely anxious to make it agreeable. Besides the credit of her friendship, he had other reasons for wishing to conciliate her: his son Marcus was just twenty - two years older than Miss Annaly - in course of time, Sir Ulick thought it might be a match - his son could not possibly make a better - beauty, fortune, family connexions, every thing that the hearts of young and old desire. Besides (for in Sir Ulick's calculations besides was a word frequently occurring), besides, Miss Annaly's brother was not as strong in body as in mind - in two illnesses his life had been despaired of - a third might carry him off - the estate would probably come to Miss Annaly. Besides, be this hereafter as it might, there was at this present time a considerable debt due by Sir Ulick to these Annalys, with accumulated interest, since the time of his first marriage; and this debt would be merged in Miss Annaly's portion, should she become his son's wife. All this was well calculated; but to say nothing of the character or affections of the son, Sir Ulick had omitted to consider Lady O'Shane, or he had taken it for granted that her love for him would induce her at once to enter into and second his views. It did not so happen. On the contrary, the dislike which Lady O'Shane took at sight to both the mother and daughter - to the daughter instinctively, at sight of her youth and beauty; to the mother reflectively, on account of her matronly dress and dignified deportment, in too striking contrast to her own frippery appearance - increased every day, and every hour, when she saw the attentions, the adoration, that Sir Ulick paid to Miss Annaly, and the deference and respect he showed to Lady Annaly, all for qualities and accomplishments in which Lady O'Shane was conscious that she was irremediably deficient. Sir Ulick thought to extinguish her jealousy, by opening to her his views on Miss Annaly for his son; but the jealousy, taking only a new direction, strengthened in its course. Lady O'Shane did not like her stepson - had indeed no great reason to like him; Marcus disliked her, and was at no pains to conceal his dislike. She dreaded the accession of domestic power and influence he would gain by such a marriage. She could not bear the thoughts of having a daughter-in-law brought into the house - placed in eternal comparison with her. Sir Ulick O'Shane was conscious that his marriage exposed him to some share of ridicule; but hitherto, except when his taste for raillery, and the diversion of exciting her causeless jealousy, interfered with his purpose, he had always treated her ladyship as he conceived that Lady O'Shane ought to be treated. Naturally good-natured, and habitually attentive to the sex, he had indeed kept up appearances better than could have been expected, fr

felt himself most attached. This he had represented to Lady O'Shane, and had earnestly requested that, as the day for the intended dance was a matter of indifference to her, it might not be fixed on this day; but her ladyship had purposely made it a trial of st

hings - send away all these things," cried he. "Young ladies, better late

olled away - chairs swung into the back-ground - the folding-doors of the dancing-room were thrown open - the pyramids of wax-candles in the chandeliers (for t

" said Sir Ulick, drawing Lady O'Shan

ine to-day with that strange cousin of yours, and neithe

r Ulick, "and I would have waited; for Ma

entlemen's conduct. I told both the young gentlemen that we were to have

Sir Ulick; "but Marcus is inexcusable

m, "You four-and-twenty fiddlers all in a row, you gentlemen musicians, scrape and tune on a little longer

shall - plas

Sir Ulick in a lower tone, "I wish

ive from your walk and way, that you were not

nces? Don't you know that I hate drinking? But when I have these county electioneering friends, the worthy red noses, to ent

all of the drunken man, marking the whole progress, from the first incipient hesitation of reason to the glorious confusion of ideas in the highest stat

actor that I don't pretend to judge - I

my dear, if you knew but al

repeated her ladyship

e matter in hand a

h was received by the young lady with the most graceful good-nature. She declined dancing more than one dance, and Sir Ulick sat down between her and Lady Annaly, exerting all his powers of humour to divert them, at the expense of his cousin, the King of the Black Islands, whose tedious ferry, or whose claret, or more likely whose whiskey-punch, he was sure, had been the cause of Marcu

gates till the young gentlemen come home, o

very low voice, "go down directly, and see th

ne, an Englishman, went directly to obey his lady's commands, and the gates were locke

e green house, which opened into the ball-room, she was startled by a peremptory tap on th

antly," cried he, "for mer