'd knock any man down who went to insult
Miss Elleney."

Elleney dropped her arms from her aunt's neck and whisked round, her
blue eyes blazing through her tears.

"I'll thank ye not to be mixin' yerself up with my business at all,
Pat Rooney. Nobody asked you to meddle."

"Was it Mr. Brennan ye were cryin' about, me poor child?" said Mrs.
McNally, in a compassionate but distinctly audible whisper.

Brian shot a melting glance towards her.

"Upon me word," he was beginning plaintively, when Elleney interrupted
him with a little shriek of exasperation, and a stamp of her foot.

"Oh dear, oh dear, everything is contrairy this day! I'd have ye to
know, Mr. Brennan, that I'd be long sorry to cry for you--if ye was to
go down on your two knees I'd never have ye! I know the kind o' young
man ye are now, an' I'll not fret after ye. I couldn't help cryin' at
first at the disrespectful way ye were afther treatin' me, but I
wouldn't have anything to say to ye now for the whole world."

"Well done!" cried Pat approvingly, while Anna Maria giggled.

"Maybe there's others that thinks different," said Brian in a nettled
tone.

"Oh yes," put in Anna Maria quickly, "her elders and betters--was that
what you were goin' to say? Juliana's to be had, Mr. Brian. She'd be a
mother to ye."

"Upon me word, Nanny," said Mrs. McNally, "it doesn't become ye to be
talkin' that way of your elder sister."

"Sure, what harm?" responded Nanny blithely. "All I said was she'd be
a mother to him. Sure, what could be better than that?"

Brian, with all his faults, was gifted with a sense of humour, and
looked at Anna Maria with a twinkle in his eye.

"Bedad," he said, "I've that much respect for Miss Juliana I'd be
afraid o' me life to ask her to put up with me."

"Well, there's Bridget then," said Nanny. "Bridget's a fine girl, an'
she's got a fine fortun', an' the whole of us knows that's what
_you're_ lookin' afther, Mr. Brian."

"I wouldn't say that altogether," said Brian, stammering a little.
"Yous all know the way it is with me. 'Tis me father that's makin' the
match for me, and I have to choose one of the family. No one can feel
more sorry nor I do for the unfort'nate mistake I'm afther makin'; I
went altogether too quick, and I was very much to blame. I'm sure I ax
Miss Elleney's pardon."

Elleney made a little inarticulate rejoinder, and turned away. Pat
looked daggers at his whilom victim, and Mrs. McNally, folding her
arms