ontinued he, aloud--'Ho, ho! that's at _you_ for coming over
here to tell me about the search-warrant; and she tells you to mind your
own business; and droll enough it is. We always fancy we're saying an
impertinence to a man when we tell him to attend to what concerns him most.
It shows, at least, that we think meddling a luxury. And then she adds,
"Kilgobbin is welcome to you," and I can only say you are welcome to
Kilgobbin--ay, and in her own words--"with such regularity and order as the
meals succeed."--"All the luggage belonging to you," etc., and "I am, very
respectfully, your Aunt." By my conscience, there was no need to sign it!
That was old Miss Betty all the world over!' and he laughed till his eyes
ran over, though the rueful face of young O'Shea was staring at him all the
time. 'Don't look so gloomy, O'Shea,' cried Kearney: 'I have not so good a
cook, nor, I'm sorry to say, so good a cellar, as at the Barn; but there
are young faces, and young voices, and young laughter, and a light step
on the stairs; and if I know anything, or rather, if I remember anything,
these will warm a heart at your age better than '44 claret or the crustiest
port that ever stained a decanter.'

'I am turned out, sir--sent adrift on the world,' said the young man
despondently.

'And it is not so bad a thing after all, take my word for it, boy. It's a
great advantage now and then to begin life as a vagabond. It takes a deal
of snobbery out of a fellow to lie under a haystack, and there's no better
cure for pretension than a dinner of cold potatoes. Not that I say you
need the treatment--far from it--but our distinguished friend Mr. Walpole
wouldn't be a bit the worse of such an alterative.'

'If I am left without a shilling in the world?'

'Then you must try what you can do on sixpence--the whole thing is how you
begin. I used not to be able to eat my dinner when I did not see the fellow
in a white tie standing before the sideboard, and the two flunkeys in plush
and silk stockings at either side of the table; and when I perceived that
the decanters had taken their departure, and that it was beer I was given
to drink, I felt as if I had dined, and was ready to go out and have a
smoke in the open air; but a little time, even without any patience, but
just time, does it all.'

'Time won't teach a man to live upon nothing.'

'It would be very hard for him if it did; let him begin by having few
wants, and work hard to supply means f