alties, and driving about in princely carriages
on the Continent Seeing what the pleasures of his intimacy have cost us
here at home, I'd say that these great personages ought to look sharp,
or, by George! he'll sell them out, as he has done us." He laughed a
bitter laugh at his jest, but his daughter did not join in the emotion.

"I scarcely think it fair," said she, at length, "to connect Mr. Dunn
with a legislation which he is only called upon to execute."

"With all my heart. Acquit him as much as you will; but, for my part,
I feel very little tenderness for the hand that accomplishes the last
functions of the law against me. These fellows have displayed a zeal and
an alacrity in their work that shows how they relish the sport. After
all," said he, after a pause, "this Dunn is neither better nor worse
than the rest of them, and in one respect he has the advantage over
them,--he has not forgotten himself quite so much as the others. To be
sure, we knew him in his very humblest fortunes, Augusta; he was meek
enough then."

She stooped to pick up her work, which had fallen, and her neck and face
were crimson as she resumed it.

"Wonderful little anticipation had he then of the man he was to become
one of these days. Do you know, Augusta, that they say he is actually
worth two millions?--two millions!"

She never spoke; and after an interval Lord Glengariff burst out into a
strange laugh.

"You 'd scarcely guess what I was laughing at, Augusta. I was just
remembering the wretched hole he used to sleep in. It was a downright
shame to put him there over the stable, but the cottage was under repair
at the time, and there was no help for it. 'I can accommodate myself
anywhere, my Lord,' he said. Egad, he has contrived to fulfil the
prediction in a very different sense. Just fancy--two millions
sterling!"

It was precisely what Lady Augusta was doing at the moment, though,
perhaps, not quite in the spirit his Lordship suspected.

"Suppose even one half of it be true, with a million of money at
command, what can't a man have nowadays?"

And so they both fell a-thinking of all that same great amount of riches
could buy,--what of power, respect, rank, flattery, political influence,
fine acquaintance, fine diamonds, and fine dinners.

"If he play his cards well, he might be a peer," thought my Lord.

"If he be as ambitious as he ought to be, he might aspire to a peer's
daughter," was the lady's reflection.

"He ha