am bound to confess was not
flattered in the model.

'Ah, Captain, is it you?' said Mrs. Paul, with a kind of languishing
condescension very different from her ordinary reception of a Castle
aide-de-camp. 'How is his grace this evening?'

Drawing his chair beside her, Phil proceeded to reply to her questions
and assure her that whatever her admiration for the duke, the feeling
was perfectly mutual. 'Egad,' said he, 'the thing may turn out very ill
for me when the duchess finds out that it was all my doing. Speaking
in confidence to you, my dear Mrs. Paul, I may confess that although
without exception she is the most kind, amiable, excellent soul
breathing, yet she has one fault. We all have our faults.'

'Ah!' sighed Mrs. Rooney, as she threw down her eyes as though to say,
'That's very true, but you will not catch me telling what mine is.'

'As I was observing, there never was a more estimable being save in this
one respect---- You guess it? I see you do.'

'Ah, the creature, she drinks!'

The captain found it not a little difficult to repress a burst of
laughter at Mrs. Rooney's suggestion. He did so, however, and proceeded:
'No, my dear madam, you mistake. Jealousy is her failing; and when I
tell you this, and when I add, that unhappily for her the events of
last night may only afford but too much cause, you will comprehend the
embarrassment of my present position.'

Having said this, he walked up and down the room for several minutes
as if sunk in meditation, while he left Mrs. Rooney to ruminate over an
announcement, the bare possibility of which was ecstasy itself. To be
the rival of a peeress; that peeress a duchess; that duchess the lady of
the viceroy! These were high thoughts indeed. What would Mrs. Riley say
now? How would the Maloneys look? Wouldn't Father Glynn be proud to meet
her at the door of Liffey Street Chapel in full pontificals as she drove
up, who knows but with a guard of honour beside her? Running on in this
way, she had actually got so far as to be discussing with herself what
was to be done with Paul--not that her allegiance was shaken towards
that excellent individual--not a single unworthy thought crossed her
mind--far from it. Poor Mrs. Rooney was purity herself; she merely
dreamed of those outward manifestations of the viceroy's preference,
which were to procure for her consideration in the world, a position
in society, and those attentions from the hands of the great and the
titl