it?"

"Why, bekaise he's coortin' Kathleen Cavanagh--now!"

"An' what do I care about that?" said her brother.

"Oh, you thief!" she replied; "don't think you can play upon me. I know
your saycret."

"An' maybe, Dora," he replied, "I have my saycrets. Do you know who was
inquirin' for you to-day?"

"No," she returned, "nor I don't care either--sorra bit."

"I met James Cavanagh there below"--he proceeded, still in a whisper,
and he fixed his eyes upon her countenance as he spoke. The words,
however, produced a most extraordinary effect. A deep blush crimsoned
her whole neck and face, until the rush of blood seemed absolutely to
become expressive of pain. Her eye, however, did not droop, but turned
upon him with a firm and peculiar sparkle. She had been stooping with
her mouth near his ear, as the reader knows, but she now stood up
quickly, shook back her hair, that had been hanging in natural and
silken curls about her blushing cheeks, and exclaimed: "No--no. Let
me alone Bryan;" and on uttering these words she hurried into another
room."

"Bryan, you've vexed Dora some way," observed her sister. "What did you
say to her?"

"Nothing that vexed her, I'll go bail," he replied, laughing; "however,
as to what I said to her, Shibby, ax me no questions an' I'll tell you
no lies."

"Becaise I thought she looked as if she was angry," continued Shibby,
"an', you know, it must be a strong provocation that would anger her."

"Ah, you're fishin' now, Shibby," he replied, "and many thanks for your
good intentions. It's a saycret, an' that's all you're going to know
about it. But it's as much as 'll keep you on the look out this month
to come; and now you're punished for your curiosity--ha!--ha!--ha! Come,
father, if we're to go to Sam Wallace's auction it's time we should
think of movin'. Art, go an' help Tom Droogan to bring out the horses.
Rise your foot here, father, an' I'll put on your spur for you. We
may as well spake to Mr. Fethertonge, the agent, about the leases. I
promised we'd call on Gerald Cavanagh, to--an' he'll be waitin' for
us--hem!"

His eye here glanced about, but Dora was not visible, and he accordingly
seemed to be more at his ease. "I think, father," he added, "I must
trate you to a pair of spurs some of these days. This one, it's clear,
has been a long time in the family."

"Throth, an' on that account," replied M'Mahon, "I'm not goin' to part
wid it for the best pair that ever were made. No,