try or that
country. What can they know about countries? Better think of being
friends to themselves, and friends to their friends.'

'I was wrong,' said Miss Nugent, 'to call myself a friend to Ireland; I
meant to say, that Ireland had been a friend to me; that I found Irish
friends, when I had no other; an Irish home, when I had no other; that
my earliest and happiest years, under your kind care, had been spent
there; and that I can never forget THAT my dear aunt--I hope you do not
wish that I should.'

'Heaven forbid, my sweet Grace!' said Lady Clonbrony, touched by her
voice and manner--'Heaven forbid! I don't wish you to do or be anything
but what you are; for I am convinced there's nothing I could ask you
would not do for me; and, I can tell you, there's few things you could
ask, love, I would not do for you.'

A wish was instantly expressed in the eyes of her niece.

Lady Clonbrony, though not usually quick at interpreting the wishes of
others, understood and answered, before she ventured to make her request
in words.

'Ask anything but THAT, Grace. Return to Clonbrony, while I am able to
live in London? That I never can or will do for you or anybody!' looking
at her son in all the pride of obstinacy; 'so there is an end of the
matter. Go you where you please, Colambre; and I shall stay where I
please:--I suppose, as your mother, I have a right to say this much?'

Her son, with the utmost respect, assured her that he had no design to
infringe upon her undoubted liberty of judging for herself; that he
had never interfered, except so far as to tell her circumstances of her
affairs, with which she seemed to be totally unacquainted, and of which
it might be dangerous to her to continue in ignorance.

'Don't talk to me about affairs,' cried she, drawing her hand away from
her son. 'Talk to my lord, or my lord's agents, since you are going to
Ireland, about business--I know nothing about business; but this I know,
I shall stay in England, and be in London, every season, as long as I
can afford it; and when I cannot afford to live here, I hope I shall not
live anywhere. That's my notion of life; and that's my determination,
once for all; for, if none of the rest of the Clonbrony family have any,
I thank Heaven I have some spirit.' Saying this, with her most stately
manner she walked out of the room. Lord Colambre instantly followed her;
for, after the resolution and the promise he had made, he did not dare
to tr