ecting for some days. _He_
thought, it appears, this was Neck-or-Nothing Hall, and thus a mutual
mistake has arisen. All I can say is, that you are most welcome, Mr.
Furlong, to the hospitality of this house as long as you please."

"But, sir, you should not have allowed me to wemain in you' house,"
said Furlong.

"That's a doctrine," said the Squire, "in which you will find it
difficult to make an Irish host coincide."

"But you must have known, sir, that it was not my intention to come to
your house."

"How could I know that, sir?" said the Squire, jocularly.

"Why, Miste' Wegan--you know--that is--in fact--confound it, sir!" said
Furlong, at last, losing his temper, "you know I told you all about our
electioneering tactics."

A loud laugh was all the response Furlong received to this outbreak.

"Well, sir," repeated he, "I pwotest it is extremely unfair."

"You know, my dear sir," said Dick, "we Irish are such _poor ignorant
creatures_, according to your own account, that we can make no use
of the knowledge with which you have so generously supplied us."

"You know," said the Squire, "we have no _real_ finesse."

"Sir," said Furlong, growing sulky, "there is a certain finesse that is
_fair_, and another that is _unfair_--and I pwotest against----"

"Pooh, pooh!" said Murphy. "Never mind trifles. Just wait till to-morrow,
and I'll show you even better salmon-fishing than you had to-day."

"Sir, no consideration would make me wemain anothe' wower in this
house."

Murphy screwed his lips together, puffed out something between a whistle
and the blowing out of a candle, and ventured to suggest to Furlong he
had better wait even a couple of hours, till he had got his allowance of
claret. "Remember the adage, sir, '_In vino veritas_,' and we'll tell
you all _our_ electioneering secrets after we've had enough wine."

"As soon, Miste' Wegan," said Mr. Furlong, quite chapfallen, "as you can
tell me how I can get to the house to which I _intended_ to go, I will
be weddy to bid you good evening."

"If you are determined, Mr. Furlong, to remain here no longer, I shall
not press my hospitality upon you; whenever you decide upon going, my
carriage shall be at your service."

"The soone' the bette', sir," said Furlong, retreating still further
into a cold and sulky manner.

The Squire made no further attempt to conciliate him; he merely said,
"Dick, ring the bell. Pass the claret, Murphy."

The bell was rung--t