llent house of your castle,' said Lady
Dashfort.

'It will be, when it is finished,' said the count. 'I am afraid,' added
he, smiling, 'I live like many other Irish gentlemen, who never are, but
always to be, blest with a good house. I began on too large a scale, and
can never hope to live to finish it.'

''Pon honour! here's a good thing, which I hope we shall live to
finish,' said Heathcock, sitting down before the collation; and heartily
did he eat of grouse pie, and of Irish ortolans, which, as Lady Dashfort
observed, 'afforded him indemnity for the past, and security for the
future.'

'Eh! re'lly now! your Irish ortolans are famous good eating,' said
Heathcock.

'Worth being quartered in Ireland, faith! to taste 'em,' said Benson.

The count recommended to Lady Dashfort some of 'that delicate sweetmeat,
the Irish plum.'

'Bless me, sir--count!' cried Williamson, 'it's by far the best thing of
the kind I ever tasted in all my life: where could you get this?'

'In Dublin, at my dear Mrs. Godey's; where ONLY, in his Majesty's
dominions, it is to be had,' said the count. The whole dish vanished in
a few seconds. ''Pon honour! I do believe this is the thing the queen's
so fond of,' said Heathcock.

Then heartily did he drink of the count's excellent Hungarian wines;
and, by the common bond of sympathy between those who have no other
tastes but eating and drinking, the colonel, the major, and the captain
were now all the best companions possible for one another.

Whilst 'they prolonged the rich repast,' Lady Dashfort and Lord Colambre
went to the window to admire the prospect; Lady Dashfort asked the count
the name of some distant hill.

'Ah!' said the count, 'that hill was once covered with fine wood; but it
was all cut down two years ago.'

'Who could have been so cruel?' said her ladyship.

'I forget the present proprietor's name,' said the count; 'but he is one
of those who, according to THE CLAUSE OF DISTRESS in their leases, LEAD,
DRIVE, AND CARRY AWAY, but never ENTER their lands; one of those enemies
to Ireland--these cruel absentees!' Lady Dashfort looked through her
glass at the mountain; Lord Colambre sighed, and, endeavouring to pass
it off with a smile, said frankly to the count--

'You are not aware, I am sure, count, that you are speaking to the son
of an Irish absentee family.--Nay, do not be shocked, my dear sir; I
tell you only, because I thought it fair to do so; but let me
assure you,