r from me again,--mark
that."

"You shall be obeyed, sir."

"Did Lord Kilgoff call?"

"Twice, sir; but my master was out. I followed your directions, however,
and said that her Ladyship was with him, and he seemed much provoked at
not finding him at home."

"Well, how did he take it,--did he make any remark?"

"A half smile, sir; nothing more."

"But said nothing?"

"Not a word, sir."

Linton arose and walked the room in deep meditation; at last he said,--

"You had better let him have those letters we held back the last two
days, to-day. He'll not think deeply over his losses on the Derby while
dwelling on this missing letter."

"I don't suspect his losses, sir, will cause much uneasiness on any
score; money occupies very little of his thoughts."

"True; but here the sum is a very heavy one. I made the book myself, and
stood to win thirty thousand pounds; but, no matter,--it can't be helped
now,--better luck another time. Now, another point. It strikes me of
late that he seems bored somewhat by the kind of life he is leading, and
that these carouses at the messes are becoming just as distasteful to
him as the heavy dinner-parties with the Dean and the rest of them. Is
that your opinion?"

"Perfectly, sir. He even said as much to me t'other evening, when he
came back from a late supper. He is always wishing for the yacht to
come over,--speaks every now and then of taking a run over to London and
Paris; in fact, sir, he _is_ bored here. There is no disguising it."

"I feared as much, George; I suspected, many a day ago, he would not be
long satisfied with the provincial boards. But this must not be; once
away from Dublin, he is lost to us forever. I know, and so do you know,
the hands he would fall into in town. Better let him get back to his old
prairie haunts, for a while, than that."

"Not so very unlikely, sir. He sits poring over maps and charts for
hours together, and scans the new coast survey like a man bent on
exploring the scenes for himself. It is hard to say what is best to do
with him."

"I'll tell you what he must not be permitted to do with himself: he must
not leave Ireland; he must not marry; he must not enter Parliament; and,
for the moment, to employ his thoughts and banish _ennui_, we 'll get up
the house-warming at Tubbermore. I mean to set off thither to-morrow."

"Without Mr. Cashel, sir?"

"Of course; be it your care that matters are well looked to in my
absence, and as Kenn