Ormond

Corny Castle. Hospitality, as well as gratitude, determi

and all her manifold absurdities, and infinite female vanities, of which she has a double proportion, being half French. But so was my wife, that I loved to distraction - for a wise man may do a foolish thing. Well, on all those accounts, I shall never contradict or gainsay this Mademoiselle - in all things, I shall make it my principle to give her her swing and her

a merchant in Dublin, whom living she had despised, because he was "neither noble, nor comme il faut," dying had lately left her a considerable sum of money: so that after having been many

most unpromising for her purpose, and the first sight

her brother-in-law would show her the whol

w her all the additions, improvements, and contrivances, he had made, and all he intended to make,

ooking from her father to her au

n doing all this life

dozens of them as we go over this house. He ca

mart remarks which Dora made behind backs as they went on, yet he thought she laughed to

e various instances it exhibited of his taste, originality, and d

's objections. Every alteration she proposed, he promised to get exec

e," said Corny, "if it is possible, it shall be

e restive, was quite delighted with his politeness; but presuming on his complaisance, she went too far. In the course of a week, she ma

e here - but by my own orders. Paper and paint, and furnish and finish, you may, if you will - I give you a carte-blanche; but I won't have another wall touched, or chimney pul

so impatient, that she was forced to get them finished sur

rld; she was continually receiving letters, and news, and patterns, from Dublin, and the Black Rock, and Paris. Each of which places, and all standing nearly upon the same level, made a great figure in her conversation, and in the imagination of the half or quarter gentry, with whom she consorted in this remote place. Every thing is great or small by comparison, and she was a great person in this little world. It had been the report of the country, that her niece was promised to the eldest son of Mr. Connal of Glynn; but the

tely essential to their parties: he was useful in the boat; he was useful to drive the car - Miss O'Faley would not trust any body else to drive her; he was an ornament to the ball - Miss O'Faley dubbed him her beau: she undertook to polish him, and to teach him to speak French - she was astonished by the quickness with which he acquired the language, and caught the true Parisian pronunciation. She often reiterated to her niece, and to others, who repeated it to Ormond, "that it was

her in Dublin, and he was a vulgar person: his hair looked as if it had not been cut these hundred years, and he wore - any thing but what he should wear; therefore it would be a favour to her brother-in-law, for whom she had in reality a serious regard - it would be doing him the greatest imaginable benefit, to save him from the shame of either keeping or breaking his ridiculous and savage promise." Her plan was therefore to prevent the possibility of his keeping it, by marrying her niece privately to Ormond before White Connal should return in October. When the thing was done, and could not be undone, Cornelius O'Shane, she was persuaded, would be very glad of it, for Harry Ormond was his particular favourite: he had called him his son - son-in-law was almost the same thing. Thus arguing with happy female casuistry, Mademoiselle went on with the prosecution of her plan. To the French spirit of intrigue and gallantry she joined Irish acuteness, and Irish varieties of odd resource, with the art of laying suspicion asleep by the appearance of an imprudent, blundering good nature; add to all this a degree of confidence, that could not have been acquired by any means but one. Thus accomplished, "rarely did she manage matters." By the very boldness and openness of her railing against the intended bridegroom, she convinced her brother-in-law that she meant nothing more than talk. Besides, through all her changing varieties of objections, there was one point on which she never varied - she never objected to going to Dublin, in September, to buy the wedding-clothes for Dora. This seemed to Cornelius O'Shane perfect proof, that she had no serious intention to break off or defer the match. As to the rest, he was glad to see his own Harry such a favourite: he deserved to be a favourite with every body, Cornelius thought. The young people were continually together. "