ppiness, whose fondest affections have been blighted, as hers had
been, often find it impossible again to gain relief by weeping. Such
was her case. She mourned the loss of the Earl, as much as did her
cousin, but it was in a different way. Not a tear dropped from her eye.
She found no vent for all she felt. Nora, on the contrary, exhibited
her grief far more violently, and thus, perhaps, the sooner regained
tranquillity.

Mr Finlayson, as he had promised the Earl, acted the part of a kind
father to her. He treated her as a petted child, spoke words of comfort
to her on all occasions, and tried by every means to raise her spirits.
Often he succeeded in doing so, and she could not help expressing a wish
that he could remain at the castle, instead of returning to Dublin.

"Well, well," he answered, "I will do my best to please you, my dear
young lady. I have a son and grandson well able to attend to my
business, and as long as I am not required at home, you shall have the
benefit of my company."

In those days the burial of even a peasant was attended with much
parade, and any family would have been thought mean unless the body of
their deceased relative was properly waked. Although the corpse of a
Protestant Earl had not to go through this ceremony, yet it would have
been looked upon as a great disgrace to the family had not all the
neighbours been invited from far and near to attend the funeral, and be
sumptuously feasted. Had Nora been consulted she would gladly have
avoided anything of the sort. Mr Finlayson declared, however, that it
was not the day to break through their old customs, and, for the credit
of the family, they must issue the usual invitations. Nora and Sophy,
however, begged that they might be allowed to keep their rooms, although
Nora had been anxious to attend her father to the grave. This it was
arranged she should do in a private carriage. When the day arrived,
however, from far and near came squires and squireens, and farmers and
peasants, in all sorts of conveyances, the larger number being on
horseback, while several friends of the deceased nobleman arrived from a
distance to pay their last respects to his remains.

It was a sad sight, even to Nora; but she resolved to go through with
what she thought was required of her, and then she hoped to be allowed
to remain at rest for many a long day. The parish church, in which the
tomb of the family was situated, was about three miles of