have known Timothy in that dress."

"No," said O'Grady, slyly; "I acknowledge it is not exactly his costume
when he serves a latitat."

"Ha, ha!" cried the other, trying to laugh at the joke, which he felt
too deeply; "I thought I knew the pony, though. Old three-and-fourpence;
his infernal canter always sounds in my ears like the jargon of a bill
of costs."

"Here comes Corny," said O'Grady. "What have you got there?"

"There, 'tis for you," replied he, throwing, with an air of the most
profound disdain, a large card upon the table; while, as he left the
room, he muttered some very sagacious reflections about the horrors
of low company--his father the Jidge--the best in the land--riotous,
disorderly life; the whole concluding with an imprecation upon heathens
and Turks, with which he managed to accomplish his exit.

"Capital, by Jove!" said Lord Dudley, as he surveyed the card with his
glass.

"'Mr. and Mrs. Paul Rooney presents'--the devil they does--'presents
their compliments, and requests the honour of Captain O'Grady's company
at dinner on Friday, the 8th, at half-past seven o'clock.'"

"How good! glorious, by Jove! eh, O'Grady? You are a sure ticket
there--_l'ami de la maison!_"

O'Grady's cheek became red at these words; and a flashing expression in
his eyes told how deeply he felt them. He turned sharply round, his lip
quivering with passion; then, checking himself suddenly, he burst into
an affected laugh,

"You'll go too, wont you?"

"I? No, faith, they caught me once; but then the fact was, a protest and
an invitation were both served on me together. I couldn't accept one, so
I did the other."

"Well, I must confess," said O'Grady, in a firm, resolute tone, "there
may be many more fashionable people than our friends; but I, for one,
scruple not to say I have received many kindnesses from them, and am
deeply, sincerely grateful."

"As far as doing a bit of paper now and then, when one is hard up," said
Lord Dudley, "why, perhaps, I'm somewhat of your mind; but if one must
take the discount out in dinners, it's an infernal bore."

"And yet," said O'Grady, maliciously, "I've seen your Lordship tax your
powers to play the agreeable at these same dinners; and I think your
memory betrays you in supposing you have only been there once. I myself
have met you at least four times."

"Only shows how devilish hard up I must have been," was the cool reply;
"but now, as the governor begins to behave bett