neasiness which, whilst it overshadows the features,
never disturbs their benignity. At length, a good-looking, neat girl,
their servant, enters the cottage with a can of new milk, for she had
been to the fields a-milking; her name is Molly Byrne.

"Molly," said her mistress, "I wonder the master has not come yet. I
am getting uneasy. The coach has gone past, and I see no appearance of
him."

"I suppose, then, he didn't come by the coach, ma'am."

"Yes, but he said he would."

"Well, ma'am, something must 'a prevented him."

"Molly," said her mistress, smiling, "you are a good hand at telling us
John Thompson's news; that is, any thing we know ourselves."

"Well, ma'am, but you know many a time he goes to Dublin, an' doesn't
come home by the coach."

"Yes, whenever he visits Rilmainham Hospital, and gets into conversation
with some of his old comrades; however, that's natural, and I hope he's
safe."

"Well, ma'am," replied Molly, looking out, "I have betther news for you
than Jenny Thompson's now."

"Attention, Molly; John Thompson's the word," said her mistress, with
the slightest conceivable air of professional form; for if she had
a foible at all, it was that she gave all her orders and exacted all
obedience from her servant in a spirit of military discipline, which
she, had unconsciously borrowed from her husband, whom she imitated as
far as she could. "Where, Molly? Fall back, I say, till I get a peep at
dear old Sam."

"There he is, ma'am," continued Molly, at the same time obeying her
orders, "and some other person along with him."

"Yes, sure enough; thank God, thank God!" she exclaimed. "But who can
the other person be, do you think?"

"I don't know, ma'am," replied Molly. "I only got a glimpse of them, but
I knew the master at once. I would know him round a corner."

"Advance, then, girl; take another look; reconnoitre, Molly, as Sam
says, and see if you can make out who it is."

"I see him now well enough, ma'am," replied the girl, "but I don't know
him; he's a stranger. What can bring a stranger here, ma'am, do you
think?" she inquired.

"Why your kind master, of course, girl; isn't that sufficient? Whoever
comes with my dear old Sam is welcome, to be sure."

Her clear, cloudless face was now lit up with a multiplicity of kind and
hospitable thoughts, for dear old Sam and his friend were not more than
three or four perches from the house, and she could perceive that her
husband was in an