"I know it," broke in Dan, "I saw you shake hands; and it was that made
me hurry downstairs to meet you."

My father flushed up suddenly, and it was not till after a few seconds
he was collected enough to continue.

"The fact is, Dan," said he, "this gathering of the clans has been a
most unlucky business, after all. There's no telling how it might
have turned out, with favorable weather and good sport; but caged up
together, the menagerie has done nothing but growl and show their teeth;
and, egad! very little was wanting to have set them all by the ears in
open conflict."

MacNaghten shrugged his shoulders, without speaking.

"It's an experiment I 'll assuredly never try again," continued my
father; "for whether it is that I have forgotten Irishmen, or that they
are not what they used to be, but all has gone wrong."

"Your own fault, Watty. You were far too anxious about it going right;
and whenever a man wants to usurp destiny, he invariably books himself
for a 'break down.' You tried, besides, what no tact nor skill could
manage. You wanted grand people to be grand, and witty people to be
witty, and handsome people to look beautiful. Now, the very essence of a
party like this is, to let everybody try and fancy themselves something
that they are not, or at least that they are not usually. Your great
folk ought to have been suffered to put off the greatness, and only be
esteemed for their excessive agreeability. Your smart men ought not to
have been called on for pleasantry, but only thought very high-bred and
well-mannered, or, what is better still, well-born. And your beauties
should have been permitted to astonish us all by a simplicity that
despised paint, patches, and powder, and captivate us all, as a kind of
domestic shepherdesses."

"It's too serious for jesting about, Dan; for I doubt if I have not
offended some of the oldest friends I had in the world."

"I hope not," said MacNaghten, more seriously.

"I am sadly afraid it is so, though," said my father. "You know the
Fosbrokes are gone?"

"Gone? When? I never heard of it!"

"They 're gone. They left this about an hour ago. I must say it was very
absurd of them. They ought to have made allowances for difference of
country, habits, education; her very ignorance of the language should
have been taken as an excuse. The Tisdalls I am less surprised at."

"Are they gone too?"

"Yes! and without a leave-taking,--except so far as a very dry note,
d