somewhat different
feeling, I hesitated. "And Miss Emily?" I asked at length, trying to
get out of the light of the candle as I spoke. "How is she?"

"Oh! She is the light of the house--the most beautifullest and
brightest little creature you ever did see," answered Mrs Fowler, with
enthusiasm. "Whether she's the captain's daughter, or anybody else's
daughter, it does not matter to me, but I know she is a blessing to all
around her."

"Thank you, Mrs Fowler, thank you," I answered, scarcely knowing what I
said. "I am anxious to see my mother. Take care of my chest; I will
take my bag with me." Saying this, I darted out of the house and
hurried down the lane. I well knew how delighted my mother would be to
see me, and I had an undefined feeling that the sooner I could be with
her the better. Passing through the wicket I found the house-door
partly open, and heard a voice proceeding from the back parlour. It was
a somewhat loud one too:

"Oh! Mistress Burthen! Mistress Burthen! Ye will be after breaking my
heart, ye will; and me waiting for you these long years, and now at last
come all the way over from old Ireland to find ye as hard and obdurate
as the blacksmith's anvil in the corner of Saint Patrick's street, in
Ballybruree," were the first words that caught my ear. "Shure you will
be afther relenting and not laving me a disconsolate widower, to go back
to Ballyswiggan all alone by myself."

"Indeed, Mr Gillooly, I feel that your constancy--your pertinacity
shall I call it?" and there was a slight touch of sarcasm in the
voice,--it was my mother who spoke, "deserves to be rewarded; but at the
same time I confess that I cannot bring myself to undertake to
recompense you as you desire. All I can do is to give you my best
advice, and that is to try and find some other lady who is more disposed
to receive your addresses than I am."

I did not wish to be an eaves-dropper, and at the same time I scarcely
liked suddenly to rush unnoticed into the room. Old Mrs Schank would,
I concluded, be in the front parlour, and perhaps Emily might be with
her, and I would ask her to break my arrival to my mother. Again Mr
Gillooly pleaded his cause. I began to fancy, from the tone of my
mother's voice and the answers she made, that she was somewhat
relenting. I knew enough of the world to be aware that even sensible
people sometimes marry against their convictions, and I thought it was
now high time for me to i