e over under an
escort several times to see her. They heard with surprise of Dermot's
departure, and at first were inclined to think him hard-hearted and
ungrateful, but so ably did the widow defend her son, that they soon
agreed with her it was but natural a boy like Dermot should seek to see
more of the world than he could in that remote part of Ireland.

The _Cynthia_ had been stationed for some months on the Irish coast,
when she stood for the last time into the bay, before taking her
departure.

As Captain Falkner had had an opportunity of letting the Earl know his
purpose, a large party were collected at the castle, to bid him and the
young hero farewell. Those were the days of profuse Irish hospitality;
the gentlemen with their wives and families for many miles around had
assembled.

The morning was spent in all sorts of sports, and the evening in
conviviality. Frequently a stag was turned out from a neighbouring
thicket, when a long run, sometimes across rivers, up and down hills, by
the borders of lakes, and over the roughest imaginable ground, took
place. Many falls were the consequence, in spite of the sturdy
character of the horses, and the admirable riding of the men, but few
were present who had not seen a companion dislocate his shoulder, and
not unfrequently terminate his career with a broken neck. It was not
unusual to see a hundred horses stabled in the castle at a time, some of
them belonging to the Earl, but a considerable number to his guests, and
the profuse hospitality of those days demanded that all the attendants
should be well cared for within the walls of the castle. The dinner
hour was somewhat early, that a longer period might be devoted to the
after carousal. The cellars usually contained numerous hogsheads of
claret, whilst stronger wines and whisky were on hand for those of less
refined tastes. But the Irish gentleman rather prided himself on the
quantity of claret he could imbibe, and yet be able to retire with
steady steps to bed, or if necessary to mount his horse and return home
by cross roads without breaking his neck, or finding himself at sunrise
just waking out of sleep in a dry ditch.

Although the Earl himself did not over indulge in the pleasures of the
table, he had been too long habituated to the custom to discourage it in
others, and thus his legitimate income was inadequate to supply the
expenses of the profuse hospitality he kept up.

The ladies retired early