cast a shadow of ministerial protection over the patriot himself, who,
in the event of acceptance, would have been the recipient of royal, and
not of national, bounty. And when, in fact, the grant of a sum of money
was voted by Parliament, the splendor of the gift was sadly tarnished by
the discussion that accompanied it!

Enough has here been said to show the general policy of that short but
eventful administration; and now to our story.

My father's reception of the Viceroy had blazed in all the ministerial
papers with a kind of triumphant announcement of the progress the
Government were making in the esteem and confidence of the Irish gentry.
Walter Carew was quoted as the representative of a class eminently
national, and one most unlikely to be the mark for Castle intrigue
or seduction. His large fortune was expatiated on, and an "authentic
assurance" put forth that he had already refused the offer of being made
a Privy Councillor. These statements were sure to provoke rejoinder. The
national papers denied that the hospitalities of Castle Carew had any
peculiar or political significance. It was very natural that one of the
first of the gentry should receive the representative of his Sovereign
with honor, and pay him every possible mark of respect and attention.
But that Walter Carew had done any more than this, or had sacrificed
anything of his old connection with his party, the best contradiction
lay in the fact that his guests contained many of the very foremost and
least compromising men of the Liberal party; and "Curtis" was quoted in
a very conspicuous type as the shortest refutation of such a charge.

It was, unfortunately, a moment of political inaction--a lull in the
storm of Parliamentary conflict--when this discussion originated;
and the newspapers were but too happy to have any theme to occupy the
attention of their readers. The Castle press became more confident and
insulting every day, and at last tauntingly asked why and how did this
great champion of nationality,--Curtis,--take leave of Castle Carew?
The question was unreplied to, and consequently appeared again, and
in larger capitals, followed by an article full of innuendo and
insinuation, and conveying the most impertinent allusions to the
antiquated section of party to which Curtis belonged.

It is notorious that a subject totally devoid of any interest in itself
will, by the bare force of repetition, assume a degree of importance
far above it