h to know--'

'To know that you would not have had a young scamp of a Castle aide-de-camp
on a visit during your father's absence, not to say anything about amusing
your English visitor by shooting down your own tenantry.'

'Will you listen to me for five minutes?'

'No, not for three.'

'Two, then--one even--one minute, godmother, will convince you how you
wrong me.'

'I won't give you that. I didn't come over about you nor your affairs. When
the father makes a fool of himself, why wouldn't the daughter? The whole
country is laughing at him. His lordship indeed! a ruined estate and a
tenantry in rags; and the only remedy, as Peter Gill tells me, raising the
rents--raising the rents where every one is a pauper.'

'What would you have him do, Miss O'Shea?' said Kate, almost angrily.

'I'll tell you what I'd have him do. I'd have him rise of a morning before
nine o'clock, and be out with his labourers at daybreak. I'd have him
reform a whole lazy household of blackguards, good for nothing but waste
and wickedness. I'd have him apprentice your brother to a decent trade or
a light business. I'd have him declare he'd kick the first man that called
him "My lord"; and for yourself, well, it's no matter--'

'Yes, but it is, godmother, a great matter to me at least. What about
myself?'

'Well, I don't wish to speak of it, but it just dropped out of my lips by
accident; and perhaps, though not pleasant to talk about, it's as well it
was said and done with. I meant to tell your father that it must be all
over between you and my nephew Gorman; that I won't have him back here on
leave as I intended. I know it didn't go far, dear. There was none of what
they call love in the case. You would probably have liked one another well
enough at last; but I won't have it, and it's better we came to the right
understanding at once.'

'Your curb-chain is loose, godmother,' said the girl, who now, pale as
death and trembling all over, advanced to fasten the link.

'I declare to the Lord, he's asleep!' said Miss Betty, as the wearied head
of her page dropped heavily on her shoulder. 'Take the curb off, dear, or
I may lose it. Put it in your pocket for me, Kate; that is, if you wear a
pocket.'

'Of course I do, godmother. I carry very stout keys in it, too. Look at
these.'

'Ay, ay. I liked all that, once on a time, well enough, and used to think
you'd be a good thrifty wife for a poor man; but with the viscount your
father, and th