ering her.

"Your appearance," said she, "and the intelligence you brought were
so unexpected, and my weakness so great, that I felt myself overcome;
however, I am better--I am better, now;" but whilst she uttered these
words her voice grew tremulous, and they were scarcely out of her lips
when she burst out into an excessive fit of weeping. For several minutes
this continued, and she appeared to feel relieved; she then entered into
conversation, and was able to talk with more ease and firmness than she
had evinced for many a day before. It was just then that a knock came
to the hall door, and in a couple of minutes about a dozen of Val's
blood-hounds, selected to act as bailiffs and keepers--a task to which
they were accustomed--entered the house with an Execution to seize for
rent. This, at all times and under all circumstances, is a scene in
which a peculiar license is given to brutality and ruffianism; but in
the present case there were additional motives; with which the reader is
already acquainted, for insulting this family. Not that the mere-levying
of an Execution was a matter of novelty to either Mary or her mother,
for of late there had unfortunately been several in the house and on
their property before. These, however, were conducted with a degree of
civility that intimated respect for, if not sympathy with, the feelings
of a family so inoffensive, so beneficial to the neighborhood by the
employment they afforded, and, in short, every way so worthy of respect.

"What is all this about?" asked Harman.

"Why," said one of the fellows, "we're seizin' for rent: that's what
it's about."

"Rent," observed the other, surprised, "why, it is only a few minutes
since Mr. M'Loughlin told me that M'Clutchy assured him--"

"Captain M'Clutchy, sir, if you plaise."

"Very well--Captain M'Clutchy, or Colonel M'Olutchy, if you wish,
assured him that--"

"I have nothing to do with what he assured him," replied the fellow; "my
duty is to take an inventory of the furniture; beg pardon, ladies, but
we must do our duty you know."

"Let them have their way," said Mrs. M'Loughlin, "let them have their
way; I know what they are capable of. Mary, my dear, be firm--as I said
before--our only trust is in God, my child."

"I am firm, my dear mother; for, as James said, the grief of griefs
has been removed from me. I can now support myself under anything--but
you--indeed, James, she is battling against illness these three or
f