rease of importance she should obtain
socially, in the fact of being domesticated in the same house with
a commander of the forces and his lady, not to speak of secretaries,
_aides-de-camp_, and Heaven knows what other functionaries. The young
ladies had prospective visions of another order; and poor Kennyfeck
fancied himself a kind of agricultural Metternich, who was about, at the
mere suggestion of his will, to lay down new territorial limits on the
estate, and cut and carve the boundaries at his pleasure.

Aunt Fanny, alone, was not warmed by the enthusiasm around her; first
of all, there were grave doubts if she could accompany the others, as
no precise invitation had ever been accorded to her; and although Mrs.
Kennyfeck stoutly averred "she was as good as asked," the elder daughter
plainly hinted at the possible awkwardness of such a step, Olivia
preserving between the two a docile neutrality.

"I 'm sorry for _your_ sake, my dear," said Miss O'Hara to Olivia, with
an accent almost tart, "because I thought I might be useful."

"It is very provoking for all our sakes," said Miss Kennyfeck, as though
quietly suffering the judgment to be pronounced; "we should have been so
happy all together."

"If your father was any good, he 'd manage it at once," said Mrs. K.,
with a resentful glance towards poor Mr. Kennyfeck, who, with spectacles
on his forehead, and the newspaper on his knee, fancied he was thinking.

"We should have some very impertinent remark upon it, I'm certain," said
Miss K., who, for reasons we must leave to the reader's own acuteness,
was greatly averse to her aunt accompanying them, "so many of one
family! I know how Linton will speak of it."

"Let him, if he dare; I wonder whose exertions placed Cashel himself
in the position he enjoys," said Mrs. Kennyfeck, angrily, and darting
a look of profound contempt at her husband, recognizing, doubtless, the
axiom of the ignoble means through which Providence occasionally effects
our destinies.

"I can remain here, mamma, for that matter," said Olivia, in a voice of
angelic innocence.

"Sweet--artless creature," whispered her sister, "not to know how all
our devices are exercised for her."

"It 's really too provoking, Fanny," said Mrs. Kennyfeck; "you were just
beginning to acquire that kind of influence over him which would be so
serviceable, and once in the country, where so many opportunities for
joining him in his walks would occur, I calculated