told me nothing it was certain that he must be staying
at some of the houses of the neighbourhood. All I wonder at was that I
heard nothing of him when I made my various calls, for even very slight
matters, very unimportant and uninteresting persons, are the subject of
much discussion in our drawing-rooms, since we see so little of the
outside world. And _he_ was not unimportant, not uninteresting. I should
have thought they would have talked of nothing else.

My grandmother was very busy in these days. All the old friendships
which she had let slip were to be taken up again for me. She spent much
time at her desk, and the postbag for the Abbey began to contain many
delicate, fragrant epistles.

"I am only sorry, Bawn," she said, looking up at me over her shoulder as
I stood behind her chair, "that we cannot open the town-house for you
and give a ball for you there. It is what ought to be done, but, of
course, it is out of the question. But you must go and see the house,
child. It has glorious memories. It is very much impoverished now, and
it will be all in dust and darkness; but there the best blood and
brains, aye, and hearts of Ireland, used to come. There came Grattan,
and Burke, and Flood, and Lord Charlemont. And there came poor Pamela
Fitzgerald and her Edward. All that was beautiful and witty in the
Ireland of those days moved through the rooms which you will find dark
and dusty."

She broke off for a moment and looked straight before her, as though she
saw visions, and when she looked up at me again her dear eyes were dim.

"If things had been otherwise," she went on, "we need not have shut up
the house, with only Maureen's sister, Bridget, to look after it.
Still, Mary Champion will see to your enjoyment, Bawn; and I am
surprised to find how many people yet remember me in Dublin. You are
sure of a hearty welcome for your grandfather's sake and mine from the
old friends. You will make your own way with the young. But now, since I
have letters to write, Bawn, and they must be long ones, supposing you
go yourself this afternoon and call on Lady Ardaragh and the Chenevixes.
You can have the phaeton and drive yourself. And you can leave cards for
me. My card-case is on the table."

Now, I thought it quite possible that _he_ might be a guest of the
Ardaraghs, who had always people staying with them. On the other hand,
it was a house where I always dreaded to meet Richard Dawson, for I had
heard Lady Ardaragh s