-you've hit it. By the way, it's seems
M'Mahon's wife, of Carriglass, is dead."

"Is she?" said Harry; "that is a respectable family, father, by all
accounts."

"Why, they neither rob nor steal, I believe," replied his uncle. "They
are like most people, I suppose, honest in the eye of the law--honest
because the laws keep them so."

"I did not think your opinion of the world was so bad, uncle," said
Maria; "I hope it is not so bad as you say it is."

"All I can say, then," replied the old Cynic, "that if you wait till you
find an honest man for your husband, you'll die an old maid."

"Well, but excuse me, uncle, is that safe doctrine to lay down before
your nephew, or myself?"

"Pooh, as to you, you silly girl, what have you to do with it? We're
taikin' about men, now--about the world, I say, and life in general."

"And don't you wish Harry to be honest?"

"Yes, where it is his interest; and ditto to roguery, where it can be
done safely."

"I know you don't feel what you say, uncle," she observed, "nor believe
it either."

"Not he, Maria," said her brother, awakening out of a reverie; "but,
uncle, as to Hycy Burke--I don't--hem."

"You don't what?" asked the other, rising and staring at him.

His nephew looked at his sister, and was silent.

"You don't mean what, man?--always speak out. Here, help me on with
this coat. Fethertonge and I are taking a ride up tomorrow as far as
Ahadarra."

"That's a man I don't like," said the nephew. "He's too soft and too
sweet, and speaks too low to be honest."

"Honest, you blockhead! Who says he's honest?" replied his uncle. "He's
as good a thing, however, an excellent man of the world that looks to
the main point, and--keeps up appearances. Take care of yourselves;"
and with these words, accompanied with a shrewd, knavish nod that was
peculiar to him, in giving which with expression he was a perfect adept,
he left them.

When he was gone, the brother and his sister looked at each, other, and
the latter said, "Can it be possible, Harry, that my uncle is serious in
all he says on this subject?"

Her brother, who paid more regard to the principles of his sister
than her uncle did, felt great reluctance in answering her in the
affirmative, so much so, indeed, that he resolved to stretch a little
for the sake of common decency.

"Not at all, Maria; no man relishes honesty more than he does. He only
speaks in this fashion because he thinks that honest men are scarc