dy Mahony's with the breeches this morning, God bless 'em, and the
fine legs as is in 'em."

But they were all balked, for Blake had his servant there.

"Get out, you blackguards!" said he, raising his tandem whip, as if to
strike them. "Get out, you robbers! Are you going to take the cart and
horses clean away from me? That mare'll settle some of ye, if you make
so free with her! she's not a bit too chary of her hind feet. Get out
of that, I tell you;" and he lightly struck with the point of his whip
the boy who had Lambert Brown's horse.

"Ah, Mr Bingham," said, the boy, pretending to rub the part very hard,
"you owe me one for that, anyhow, and it's you are the good mark for
it, God bless you."

"Faix," said another, "one blow from your honour is worth two promises
from Lambert Brown, any way."

There was a great laugh at this among the ragged crew, for Lambert
Brown was still standing on the doorsteps: when he heard this sally,
however, he walked in, and the different red-coats and top-boots were
not long in crowding after him.

Lord Ballindine received them in the same costume, and very glad they
all seemed to see him again. When an Irish gentleman is popular in his
neighbourhood, nothing can exceed the real devotion paid to him; and
when that gentleman is a master of hounds, and does not require a
subscription, he is more than ever so.

"Welcome back, Ballindine--better late than never; but why did you stay
away so long?" said General Bourke, an old gentleman with long, thin,
flowing grey hairs, waving beneath his broad-brimmed felt hunting-hat.
"You're not getting so fond of the turf, I hope, as to be giving up the
field for it? Give me the sport where I can ride my own horse myself;
not where I must pay a young rascal for doing it for me, and robbing me
into the bargain, most likely."

"Quite right, General," said Frank; "so you see I've given up the
Curragh, and come down to the dogs again."

"Yes, but you've waited too long, man; the dogs have nearly done their
work for this year. I'm sorry for it; the last day of the season is the
worst day in the year to me. I'm ill for a week after it."

"Well, General, please the pigs, we'll be in great tune next October.
I've as fine a set of puppies to enter as there is in Ireland, let
alone Connaught. You must come down, and tell me what you think of
them."

"Next October's all very well for you young fellows, but I'm
seventy-eight. I always make up my min