adopted."
The sombre mantle of expostulatory eloquence had now descended on the
earl, and he continued, turning full upon his victim, and raising and
lowering his voice with monotonous propriety.--"I fear it is to no
good purpose that I am subjecting your mother and myself to privation,
restraint, and inconvenience; that I am straining every nerve to place
you again in a position of respectability, a position suitable to my
fortune and your own rank. I am endeavouring to retrieve the desperate
extravagance--the--I must say--though I do not wish to hurt your
feelings, yet I must say, disgraceful ruin of your past career. And how
do you help me? what regret do you show? what promises of amendment do
you afford? You drive up to my hall-door at midnight with your boon
companion; you disturb the whole household at most unseasonable hours,
and subject my family to the same disreputable irregularity in which
you have yourself so long indulged. Can such doings, Kilcullen, give me
any hopes for the future? Can--"

"My lord--I am extremely sorry for the dinner: what can I say more? And
as for Mat Tierney, he is your own guest or her ladyship's--not mine.
It is my misfortune to have come in the same carriage with him, but
that is the extent of my offence."

"Well, Kilcullen; if you think your conduct has always been such as it
ought to be, it is of little use for me to bring up arguments to the
contrary."

"I don't think so, my lord. What can I say more? I have done
those things which I ought not to have done. Were I to confess my
transgressions for the hour together, I could not say more; except that
I have left undone the things which I ought to have done. Or, do you
want me to beat my breast and tear my hair?"

"I want you, Lord Kilcullen, to show some sense of decency--some filial
respect."

"Well, my lord, here I am, prepared to marry a wife of your own
choosing, and to set about the business this morning, if you please. I
thought you would have called that decent, filial, and respectable."

The earl could hardly gainsay this; but still he could not bring
himself to give over so soon the unusual pleasure of blowing up his
only son. It was so long since Lord Kilcullen had been regularly
in his power, and it might never occur again. So he returned from
consideration of the future to a further retrospect on the past.

"You certainly have played your cards most foolishly; you have thrown
away your money--rather, I should