the mansion. The roof had also to be replaced by another, of more
costly construction. In the place of a stucco colonnade, one of
polished granite was to be erected. The whole of the furniture was to
be exchanged. Massive old cabinets and oaken chairs, handsome enough in
their way, were but ill-suited to ceilings of fretted gold, and walls
hung in the rich draperies of Lyons. The very mirrors, which had been
objects of intense admiration for their size and splendor, were now to
be discarded for others of more modern pretensions. The china bowls and
cups which for centuries had been regarded as very gems of virtu were
thrown indignantly aside, to make place for Sevres vases and rich
groupings of pure Saxon. In fact, all the ordinary comforts and
characteristics of a country gentleman's house were abandoned for the
sumptuous and splendid furniture of a palace. To meet such expenses
large sums were raised on loan, and two of the richest mines on the
estate were heavily mortgaged. Of course it is needless to say that
preparations on such a scale of magnificence attracted a large share of
public attention. The newspapers duly chronicled the increasing splendor
of "Castle Carew." Scarcely a ship arrived without some precious
consignment, either of pictures, marbles, or tapestries; and these
announcements were usually accompanied by some semi-mysterious paragraph
about the vast wealth of the owner, and the great accession of fortune
he had acquired by his marriage. On this latter point nothing was known,
beyond the fact that the lady was of an ancient ducal family of France,
of immense fortune and eminently beautiful. Even my father's most
intimate friends knew nothing beyond this; for, however strange it
may sound to our present-day notions, my father was ashamed of her
illegitimacy and rightly judged what would be the general opinion
of her acquaintances, should the fact become public. At last came the
eventful day of the landing in Ireland; and, certainly, nothing could be
more enthusiastic nor affectionate than the welcome that met them.

Personally, my father's popularity was very great; politically, he had
already secured many admirers, since, even in the few months of his
parliamentary life, he had distinguished himself on two or three
occasions. His tone was manly and independent; his appearance was
singularly prepossessing; and then, as he owned a large estate, and
spent his money freely, it would have been hard if su