, half angrily. "Do you think his
Grace would order the dinner away if there happened to be a dish at
table he didn't like?"

"Not exactly, if he were not compelled to eat of it," said Rutledge,
good-humoredly; "but I 'm sure, all this time, that we 're only amusing
ourselves fighting shadows. Just tell me who are coming, and I 'll be
able to give you a hint if any of them should be personally displeasing
to his Grace."

"You remember them all, Dan," said my father; "try and repeat the
names."

"Shall we keep the lump of sugar for the last," said Dan, "as they do
with children when they give them medicine? or shall we begin with your
own friends, Rut-ledge? for we've got Archdall, and Billy Burton, and
Freke, and Barty Hoare, and some others of the same stamp,--fellows that
I call very bad company, but that I'm well aware you Castle folk expect
to see everywhere you go!"

"But you've done things admirably," cried Rutledge. "These are exactly
the men for us. Have you Townsend?"

"Ay, and his flapper, Tisdall; for without Joe he never remembers what
story to tell next. And then there's Jack Preston! Egad! you 'll fancy
yourselves on the Treasury benches."

"Well, now for the Opposition," said Rutledge, gayly.

"To begin: Grattan can't come,--a sick child, the measles, or something
or other wrong in the nursery, which he thinks of more consequence than
'all your houses;' Ponsonby won't come,--he votes you all very dull
company; Hugh O'Donnell is of the same mind, and adds that he 'd rather
see Tom Thumb, in Fishamble Street, than all your court tomfooleries
twice over. But then we've old Bob Ffrench,--Bitter Bob; Joe Curtis--"

"Not the same Curtis that refused his Grace leave to shoot over his bog
at Bally vane?"

"The very man, and just as likely to send another refusal if the request
be repeated."

"I didn't know of this, Dan," interposed my father. "This is really
awkward."

"Perhaps it was a little untoward," replied MacNaghten, "but there was
no help for it. Joe asked himself; and when I wrote to say that the Duke
was coming, he replied that he 'd certainly not fail to be here, for he
did n't think there was another house in the kingdom likely to harbor
them both at the same time."

"He was right there," said Rutledge, gravely.

"He generally is right," replied MacNaghten, with a dry nod. "Stephen
Blake, too, isn't unlikely to come over, particularly if he finds
out that we 've little room to spare,