husiasm
respecting Brien Boru, "I congratulate you, sincerely."

"What about?" said Lord Ballindine.

"Why, I find you've got a first-rate horse, and I hear you've got rid
of a first-rate lady. You're very lucky, no doubt, in both; but I think
fortune has stood to you most, in the latter."

Lord Ballindine was petrified: he did not know what to reply. He was
aware that his engagement with Miss Wyndham was so public that Tierney
could allude to no other lady; but he could not conceive how any one
could have heard that his intended marriage was broken off--at any rate
how he could have heard it spoken of so publicly, as to induce him to
mention it in that sort of way, to himself. His first impulse was to be
very indignant; but he felt that no one would dream of quarrelling with
Mat Tierney; so he said, as soon as he was able to collect his thoughts
sufficiently,

"I was not aware of the second piece of luck, Mr Tierney. Pray who is
the lady?"

"Why, Miss Wyndham," said Mat, himself a little astonished at Lord
Ballindine's tone.

"I'm sure, Mr Tierney," said Frank, "you would say nothing,
particularly in connection with a lady's name, which you intended
either to be impertinent, or injurious. Were it not that I am quite
certain of this, I must own that what you have just said would appear
to be both."

"My dear lord," said the other, surprised and grieved, "I beg ten
thousand pardons, if I have unintentionally said anything, which you
feel to be either. But, surely, if I am not wrong in asking, the match
between you and Miss Wyndham is broken off?"

"May I ask you, Mr Tierney, who told you so?"

"Certainly--Lord Kilcullen; and, as he is Miss Wyndham's cousin, and
Lord Cashel's son, I could not but think the report authentic."

This overset Frank still more thoroughly. Lord Kilcullen would never
have spread the report publicly unless he had been authorised to do so
by Lord Cashel. Frank and Lord Kilcullen had never been intimate; and
the former was aware that the other had always been averse to the
proposed marriage; but still, he would never have openly declared that
the marriage was broken off, had he not had some authority for saying
so.

"As you seem somewhat surprised," continued Mat, seeing that Lord
Ballindine remained silent, and apparently at a loss for what he ought
to say, "perhaps I ought to tell you, that Lord Kilcullen mentioned
it last night very publicly--at a dinner-party, as an absolute fact