it! It is a hollow thing; but perhaps you are in the scheme
too. There, you needn't look angry; I only meant it in joke--ha! ha! ha!
I say, Hinton, do you take care of yourself: Englishers have no chance
here; and when they find it won't do with _me_, they'll take you in
training."

"Anything for a _pis-aller_" said O'Grady, sarcastically; "but let
us not forget there is a levee to-day, and it is already past twelve
o'clock."

"Ha! to be sure, a horrid bore."

So saying, Lord Dudley lounged one more round the room, looked at
himself in the glass, nodded familiarly to his own image, and took his
leave. O'Grady soon followed; while I set about my change of dress with
all the speed the time required.

[Transcriber's note: The remainder of this file digitized
from a different print copy which uses single quotation
marks for all quotes.]

CHAPTER IX. THE BALL

As the day of Mr. Rooney's grand entertainment drew near, our
disappointment increased tenfold at our inability to be present.
The only topic discussed in Dublin was the number of the guests, the
splendour and magnificence of the dinner, which was to be followed by a
ball, at which above eight hundred guests were expected. The band of
the Fermanagh militia, at that time the most celebrated in Ireland, was
brought up expressly for the occasion. All that the city could number of
rank, wealth, and beauty had received invitations, and scarcely a single
apology had been returned.

'Is there no possible way.' said I, as I chatted with O'Grady on the
morning of the event; 'is there no chance of our getting away in time to
see something of the ball at least?'

'None whatever,' replied he despondingly; 'as ill-luck would have it,
it's a command-night at the theatre. The duke has disappointed so often,
that he is sure to go now, and for the same reason he 'll sit the whole
thing out. By that time it will be half-past twelve, we shan't get back
here before one; then comes supper; and---- in fact, you know enough of
the habits of this place now to guess that after that there is very
little use of thinking of going anywhere.'

'It is devilish provoking,' said I.

'That it is: and you don't know the worst of it. I 've got rather a
heavy book on the Loughrea race, and shall want a few hundreds in a week
or so; and, as nothing renders my friend Paul so sulky as not eating his
dinners, it is five-and-twenty per cent, at least out of my pocket, from