ds the fire, where the two sisters, with arms entwined,
stood in the most graceful of attitudes.

"Yes, but have you considered the matter maturely?" rejoined Kennyfeck,
laying his hand on Cashel's arm. "Have you taken into account that he
only pays eight and seven pence per acre,--the Irish acre, too,--and
that a considerable part of that land adjoining the Boat Quay is let, as
building plots for two and sixpence a foot?"

"A devilish pretty foot it is, too," murmured Cashel, musingly.

"Eh! what?" exclaimed Kennyfeck, perfectly mystified at this response.

"Oh! I meant that I agreed with you," rejoined the young man, reddening,
and endeavoring to appear deeply interested. "I quite coincide with your
views, sir."

Kennyfeck seemed surprised at this, for he had not, to his knowledge,
ventured on any opinion.

"Perhaps," said he, taking breath for a last effort, "if you 'd kindly
look at the map of the estate, and just see where this farm trenches
on your own limits, you could judge better about the propriety of the
renewal."

"Oh, with pleasure!" exclaimed Cashel, while he suffered himself to
be led into the study, his face exhibiting very indifferent signs of
satisfaction.

"Shall we assist in the consultation, Mr. Cashel?" said Mrs. Kennyfeck,
smiling in reply to his reluctant look at leaving.

"Oh, by all means!" cried he, enthusiastically; "do come, and give me
your advice. Pray, come."

"Come, girls," said the mother, "although I perceive Mr. Kennyfeck is
terribly shocked at the bare thought of our intrusion; but be of
good courage, we only accompany Mr. Cashel to save him from any long
imprisonment." And so she moved majestically forward, her daughters
following her.

An alchemist would probably have received company in his laboratory, or
a hermit admitted a jovial party in his cell, with less of constraint
and dissatisfaction than did Mr. Kennyfeck watch the approach of his
wife and daughters to the sanctum of his study.

Save at rare intervals, when a disconsolate widow had come to resolve a
question of administration, or a no less forlorn damsel had entered to
consult upon an action for "breach of promise," St. Kevin himself had
never been less exposed to female intervention. It needed, then, all
his reverence and fear of Mrs. Kennyfeck to sustain the shock to his
feelings, as he saw her seat herself in his office-chair, and look
around with the air of command that he alone used to exhibit in the