ments which would detain him from O'Grady and his party, and gain
time for their side; and get out of him all the electioneering plot of
the other party, _indirectly_; but to have as little _real_ electioneering
business as possible. "If you do, Dick," said Murphy, "take my word, we
shall betray ourselves somehow or other--he could not be so soft as not
to see it; but let us be content to amuse him with all sorts of absurd
stories of Ireland--and the Irish--tell him magnificent lies--astonish
him with grand materials for a note-book, and work him up to
publish--that's the plan, sir!"

The three conspirators now joined the family party, which had just sat
down to breakfast; Dick, in his own jolly way, hoped Furlong had slept
well.

"Vewy," said Furlong, as he sipped his tea with an air of peculiar
_nonchalance_ which was meant to fascinate Fanny Dawson, who, when
Furlong addressed to her his first silly common-place, with his peculiar
_non_-pronunciation of the letter R, established a lisp directly, and it
was as much as her sister, Mrs. Egan, could do to keep her countenance,
as Fanny went on slaughtering the S's as fast as Furlong ruined R's.

"I'll twouble you for a little mo' queam," said he, holding forth his
cup and saucer with an affected air.

"Perhapth you'd like thum more theugar," lisped Fanny, lifting the
sugar-tongs with an exquisite curl of her little finger.

"I'm glad to hear you slept well," said Dick to Furlong.

"To be sure he slept well," said Murphy; "this is the sleepiest air in
the world."

"The sleepiest air?" returned Furlong, somewhat surprised. "That's vewy
odd."

"Not at all, sir," said Murphy; "well known fact. When I first came
to this part of the country, I used to sleep for two days together
sometimes. Whenever I wanted to rise early, I was always obliged to get
up the night before."

This was said by the brazen attorney, from his seat at a side-table,
which was amply provided with a large dish of boiled potatoes, capacious
jugs of milk, a quantity of cold meat and game. Murphy had his mouth
half filled with potatoes as he spoke, and swallowed a large draught of
milk as the stranger swallowed Murphy's lie.

"You don't eat potatoes, I perceive, sir," said Murphy.

"Not for bweakfast," said Furlong.

"Do you for thupper?" lisped Fanny.

"Never in England," he replied.

"Finest things in the world, sir, for the intellect," said Murphy. "I
attribute the natural intelligence o