e latter deprecated the folly of indulging in country love; the
former, his hand on the champagne bottle, hiccoughed, 'Mu--ch better
come up--up Dub--lin, yer know, my boy. But look, look here; I know such
a nice'--a glance round, to make sure that no lady was within earshot;
and the conversation lapsed into a still more confidential whisper.

Mr. Ryan and Mr. Lynch ate their dinner in sullen silence, and at the
other end of the long table Mr. Adair--whom it was now confidently
stated Mr. Gladstone could not possibly get on without--talked to Mr.
Harding; and when the few dried oranges and tough grapes that
constituted dessert had been tasted, the ladies got up, and in twos and
threes retired to the ladies' sitting-room. They were followed by Lord
Dungory, Mr. Adair, and Mr. Harding: the other gentlemen--the baronets
and Messrs. Ryan and Lynch--preferring smoke and drink to chatter and
oblique glances in the direction of ankle-concealing skirts, went up to
the billiardroom. And the skirts, what an importance they took in the
great sitting-room full of easy-chairs and Swiss scenery: chalets,
lakes, cascades, and chamois, painted on the light-coloured walls. The
big ottoman was swollen with bustled skirts; the little low seats around
the fire disappeared under skirts; skirts were tucked away to hide the
slippered feet, skirts were laid out along the sofas to show the
elegance of the cut. Then woolwork and circulating novels were produced,
and the conversation turned on marriage. Bertha being the only Dublin
girl present, all were anxious to hear her speak; after a few
introductory remarks, she began:

'Oh! so you have all come up to the Castle and are going to be
presented. Well, you'll find the rooms very grand, and the suppers very
good, and if you know a lot of people--particularly the officers
quartered here--you will find the Castle balls very amusing. The best
way is to come to town a month before the Drawing-Room, and give a ball;
and in that way you get to know all the men. If you haven't done that, I
am afraid you won't get many partners. Even if you do get introduced,
they'll only ask you to dance, and you'll never see them again. Dublin
is like a racecourse, men come and speak to you and pass on. 'Tis
pleasant enough if you know people, but as for marriages, there aren't
any. I assure you I know lots of girls--and very pretty girls, too--who
have been going out these six or seven seasons, and who have not been