rs. His writing too was very slow, and his choice of language
not extensive; a letter on such a subject from a brother to a sister
should be well turned, impressive, terse, sententious: that scheme
would never have done for Thady.

What then should he do? if he were to go to Captain Ussher now, and
tell him to discontinue his visits, he would only be asked if he had
his sister's authority for doing so, or his father's. Should he get,
or try to get, his father's authority? The old man he knew was moping
over the parlour fire, half drunk, half stupid, and half asleep.

After thinking over it alone there in Feemy's sitting-room for an
hour, he determined that all he could do was to go back again to his
only friend, Father John.

When Feemy slammed the door, as she did at the end of her violent
oration above given, she betook herself to her bedroom, and began to
cry.

Though she had so well assumed the air of an injured person, and had
to the best of her abilities vindicated her absent lover, still she
was very unhappy at what her brother had said to her. Nor, in truth,
was it only because Thady had expressed himself unkindly about Myles,
but she also could not but feel that there was something wrong. She
never for a moment believed that her lover spoke loosely of her
behind her back, for she never for a moment doubted his love; but she
did feel that it would be more comfortable if Myles would speak, or
let her speak to some of her family, if it were only to her father.
Though she knew so little of what was usual in the world, still she
felt that even his sanction, stupid, tipsy, unconscious as he was,
would give to her attachment a respectability which it wanted now;
and if a day for her marriage were fixed, though circumstances might
require that it should be ever so distant, she would be able to talk
much more satisfactorily of her prospects to Mary Cassidy, and the
Miss McKeons. Besides, if she could bring matters to this state, she
could so triumphantly prove that Thady was wrong in his unhandsome
conjectures, and she determined before she had done thinking on the
subject, to give Myles a few hints as to her wishes. The next day
he would be sure to come to Ballycloran on his way to McGovery's
wedding, and he would probably ask why Thady had prevented their walk
to Aughermore; and then she would have a good opportunity of saying
what she wanted.

CHAPTER VII.

THE PRIEST'S DINNER PARTY.

Thady, as I sa