were the bishop, and the colonel, and Lord
George, and their respective wives, and Mr Hill. My dear mamma asked
them all here for my amusement; but, you know, one man may lead a horse
to water--a hundred can't make him drink. I cannot, cannot drink of the
Miss O'Joscelyns, and the Bishop of Maryborough."

"For shame, Adolphus! you ought at any rate to do something to amuse
them."

"Amuse them! My dear Fanny, who ever heard of amusing a bishop? But
it's very easy to find fault; what have you done, yourself, for their
amusement?"

"I didn't run away from them; though, had I done so, there would have
been more excuse for me than for you."

"So there would, Fanny," said Kilcullen, feeling that she had alluded
to her brother's death; "and I'm very, very sorry all these people are
here to bore you at such a time, and doubly sorry that they should have
been asked on my account. They mistake me greatly, here. They know that
I've thought Grey Abbey dull, and have avoided it; and now that I've
determined to get over the feeling, because I think it right to do so,
they make it ten times more unbearable than ever, for my gratification!
It's like giving a child physic mixed in sugar; the sugar's sure to be
the nastiest part of the dose. Indeed I have no dislike to Grey Abbey
at present; though I own I have no taste for the sugar in which my kind
mother has tried to conceal its proper flavour."

"Well, make the best of it; they'll all be gone in ten days."

"Ten days! Are they to stay ten days? Will you tell me, Fanny, what was
the object in asking Mat Tierney to meet such a party?"

"To help you to amuse the young ladies."

"Gracious heavens! Does Lady Cashel really expect Mat Tierney to play
_la grace_ with the Miss O'Joscelyns?--Well, the time will come to an
end, I suppose. But in truth I'm more sorry for you than for any one.
It was very ill-judged, their getting such a crowd to bore you at such
a time," and Lord Kilcullen contrived to give his voice a tone of
tender solicitude.

"Kilcullen," said the earl, across the table, "you don't hear the
bishop. His lordship is asking you to drink wine with him."

"I shall be most proud of the honour," said the son, and bobbed his
head at the bishop across the table.

Fanny was on the point of saying something respecting her brother to
Lord Kilcullen, which would have created a kind of confidence between
them, but the bishop's glass of wine broke it off, and from that time
L