moreover, as I was informed by those who were with her, has
large property in Poland. She was, in fact, everything that I could
desire--handsome, witty, speaking English and several other languages,
and about two or three and twenty years old."

"And her name, if it's no offence to ask it?"

"Princess Czartorinski."

"And a princess in the bargain? And did you really pretend to make love
to a princess?"

"Am not I an Irishman, McShane? and is a princess anything but a woman,
after all? By the powers! I'd make love to, and run away with, the
Pope himself; if he were made of the same materials as Pope Joan is said
to have been."

"Then, upon my faith, O'Donahue, I believe you--so now go on."

"I not only made love to her, but in making love to her, I got most
terribly singed myself; and I felt, before I quitted her, that if I had
ten thousand a-year, and she was as poor as my dear Judith was, that she
should have taken her place--that's the truth. I thought that I never
could love again, and that my heart was as flinty as a pawnbroker's; but
I found out my mistake when it was too late."

"And did she return you the compliment?"

"That I was not indifferent to her, I may without vanity believe. I had
a five minutes alone with her just before we parted, and I took that
opportunity of saying how much pain it was to part with her, and for
once I told the truth, for I was almost choking when I said it. I'm
convinced that there was sincerity in my face, and that she saw that it
was there; so she replied, `If what you say is true, we shall meet at
Saint Petersburg next winter; good-bye, I shall expect you.'"

"Well, that was as much as to say, come, at all events."

"It was; I stammered out my determination so to do, if possible; but I
felt at the time that my finances rendered it impossible--so there was
an end of that affair. By my hopes of salvation, I'd not only go to
Saint Petersburg, but round the whole world, and to the north pole
afterwards, if I had the means only to see her once more."

"You're in a bad way, O'Donahue; your heart's gone and your money too.
Upon my soul, I pity you; but it's always the case in this world. When
I was a boy, the best and ripest fruit was always on the top of the
wall, and out of my reach. Shall I call to-morrow, and then, if you
please, I'll introduce you to Mrs McShane?"

"I will be happy to see you and your good wife, McShane; health and
happiness to you. Stop,