and a _roue_!" said the earl, forgetting, it is to be
supposed, for the moment, his own son's character. "She'll marry him
now, I suppose, and repent at her leisure. I'll give myself no further
trouble about it."

The earl thought upon the subject, however, a good deal; and before Mr
Armstrong's arrival he had all but made up his mind that he must again
swallow his word, and ask his ward's lover back to his house. He had at
any rate become assured that if he did not do so, some one else would
do it for him.

Mr Armstrong was, happily, possessed of a considerable stock of
self-confidence, and during his first day's journey, felt no want of it
with regard to the delicate mission with which he was entrusted. But
when he had deposited his carpet-bag at the little hotel at Kilcullen
bridge, and found himself seated on a hack car, and proceeding to Grey
Abbey, he began to feel that he had rather a difficult part to play;
and by the time that the house was in sight, he felt himself completely
puzzled as to the manner in which he should open his negotiation.

He had, however, desired the man to drive to the house, and he could
not well stop the car in the middle of the demesne, to mature his
plans; and when he was at the door he could not stay there without
applying for admission. So he got his card-case in his hand, and rang
the bell. After a due interval, which to the parson did not seem a bit
too long, the heavy-looking, powdered footman appeared, and announced
that Lord Cashel was at home; and, in another minute Mr Armstrong found
himself in the book-room.

It was the morning after Lord Kilcullen's departure, and Lord Cashel
was still anything but comfortable. Her ladyship had been bothering him
about the poor boy, as she called her son, now that she learned he was
in distress; and had been beseeching him to increase his allowance.
The earl had not told his wife the extent of their son's pecuniary
delinquencies, and consequently she was greatly dismayed when her
husband very solemnly said,

"My lady, Lord Kilcullen has no longer any allowance from me."

"Good gracious!" screamed her ladyship; "no allowance?--how is the poor
boy to live?"

"That I really cannot tell. I cannot even guess; but, let him live how
he may, I will not absolutely ruin myself for his sake."

The interview was not a comfortable one, either to the father or
mother. Lady Cashel cried a great deal, and was very strongly of
opinion that her son