uch. Leave it with me, however, and you shall probably hear
from me again. I fear we are late in point of time; indeed, I have but
faint hopes of it altogether, and I would not recommend you to form any
strong expectations from the interference of any one; still, at the same
time," he added, looking significantly at him, "I don't desire you to
despair altogether."

"He has as much notion," thought Bryan, "of troubling his head about me
or my memorial, as I have for standin' candidate for the county. D--n
them all! they think of nobody but themselves!"

CHAPTER XVIII.--A Family Dialogue

--Ahadarra not in for it--Bryan's Vote.

Honest Jemmy Burke, we have already said, had brought home his
second son, Edward, from school, for the purpose of training him to
agricultural pursuits, having now abandoned all notions of devoting him
to the Church, as he would have done had Hycy manifested towards him
even the ordinary proofs of affection and respect.

"You druv me to it, Rosha," said he to his wife; "but I'll let you both
know that I'm able to be masther in my own house still. You have made
your pet what he is; but I tell you that if God hasn't said it, you'll
curse one another with bitther hearts yet."

"Well, sure you have your own way," replied his wife, "but you wor ever
and always self-willed and headstrong. However, it's all the mane blood
that's in you; it breaks your heart to see your son a gintleman; but in
spite of your strong brogues and felt caubeen, a gentleman he is, and
a gentleman he will be, an' that's all I have to say about it. You'll
tache your pet to hate his brother, I'll go bail."

"No, indeed, Rosha," he replied, "I know my duty to God and my childre'
betther than to turn them against one another; but it's only a proof of
how little you know about Edward and his warm and lovin' heart, when you
spake as you do."

This indeed was true. Edward Burke was but a short time at home when he
saw clearly how matters stood in the family. He was in fact a youth of a
most affectionate and generous disposition, and instead of attempting to
make the breach wider, as Hycy had he been in his place would have done,
he did everything in his power to put the parties into a good state
of feeling with each other, and to preserve peace and harmony in the
family.

One morning, a few days after Hycy's rejection by Miss Clinton, they
were all at breakfast, "the accomplished" being in one of his musical
and pol