he whispered.

"A regular grab-all. Of course if me a'nt goes favourin' her, the poor
fellow 'ull have to take her. But I pity him, aye do I."

"Sure maybe he won't," whispered Elleney back, consolingly. "He'll be
apt to be pickin' wan o' the young ones--I shouldn't wonder if it was
yourself, Maggie."

"If it wasn't for the money I dare say you'd have as good a chance as
the rest of us," said Maggie, mollified by this tribute; "but of
course the father wouldn't hear of any girl without a fortun'."

By an odd freak of fate, however, it was Elleney who first had speech
with Brian Brennan when he came to seek a wife in Mrs. McNally's
house. Elleney, indeed, was not in the house when his eyes first fell
upon her; she was kneeling on the doorstep, scrubbing it with might
and main. He had driven out from Dublin instead of coming by train,
and arrived in consequence earlier than was expected. Elleney wore the
pink cotton frock in which she went about her work of a morning; her
sleeves were rolled up, and her skirt pinned back. Her face was
flushed with a lovely colour, and the breeze lifted loose strands of
her nut-brown hair, as she squatted back on her heels in answer to the
stranger's salutation.

"Is Mrs. McNally within? I think she's expecting me."

"Oh," said Elleney, looking up with those big astonished eyes of hers,
"is it Mr. Brennan?"

"It's that same," responded Brian cheerfully.

Elleney jumped up, knocking over her pail in her agitation, and wiped
her little damp hands on her apron.

"Me a'nt is in the shop," she said hurriedly. "If ye'll walk inside
I'll call her in a minute."

"A-ha!" said Mr. Brian, "you're one o' the nieces, are ye? Are the
rest anyways like ye?"

"They wouldn't take it as a compliment if ye were to say so," replied
Elleney. "This way, sir."

The big young man followed her into the parlour. He was a very big
young man, and he had a beautiful head of hair, black and curly; and
he looked extremely well fed and pleased with the world in general.

"Bless me, child, what a show ye are!" exclaimed Mrs. McNally, when
Elleney breathlessly summoned her. "Look at your sleeves, and your
skirt tucked up an' all. I declare I'm ashamed of my life--"

"How could I know it was him?" protested Elleney.

"To be sure, to be sure, none of us expected him; an' any way it
doesn't matter about you. Here, pull down your sleeves, dear, and take
my place for a bit. Where's Ju?"

"She's above, doin'