ho exerted himself strenuously for
O'Donahue, with the efforts made in other quarters, and more than all,
the letter of O'Donahue, proving that the emperor had given his consent
(unwittingly, it is true), coupled with his wish to enter into his
service, at last produced the desired effect, and after two months a
notice of their pardon and permission to return was at last despatched
by the empress. O'Donahue considered that it was best to take immediate
advantage of this turn in his favour, and retrace his way to the
capital. McShane, who had been quite long enough in the situation of a
domestic, now announced his intention to return home; and O'Donahue,
aware that he was separating him from his wife, did not, of course,
throw any obstacle in the way of his departure. Our little hero, who
has lately become such a cipher in our narrative, was now the subject of
consideration. O'Donahue wished him to remain with him, but McShane
opposed it.

"I tell you, O'Donahue, that it's no kindness to keep him here; the boy
is too good to be a page at a lady's shoestring, or even a servant to so
great a man as you are yourself now: besides, how will he like being
buried here in a foreign country, and never go back to old England?"

"But what will he do better in England, McShane?"

"Depend upon it, major," said the princess, for she was now aware of
McShane's rank, "I will treat him like a son."

"Still he will be a servant, my lady, and that's not the position--
although, begging your pardon, an emperor might be proud to be your
servant; yet that's not the position for little Joey."

"Prove that you will do better for him, McShane, and he is yours: but
without you do, I am too partial to him to like to part with him. His
conduct on the journey--"

"Yes, exactly, his conduct on the journey, when the wolves would have
shared us out between them, is one great reason for my objection. He is
too good for a menial, and that's the fact. You ask me what I intend to
do with him; it is not so easy to answer that question, because you see,
my lady, there's a certain Mrs McShane in the way, who must be
consulted; but I think that when I tell her, what I consider to be as
near the truth as most things which are said in this world, that if it
had not been for the courage and activity of little Joey, a certain
Major McShane would have been by this time eaten and digested by a pack
of wolves, why, I then think, as Mrs McShane and I have