conduct for next winter's campaign in town.'

Lord Clonbrony looked as if he did not know how to look; and, after
drumming on the table for some seconds, said--

'Colambre, I told you how it would be. That's a fatal hard condition of
yours.'

'Not a hard condition, I hope, my dear father,' said Lord Colambre.

'Hard it must be, since it can't be fulfilled, or won't be fulfilled,
which comes to the same thing,' replied Lord Clonbrony, sighing.

'I am persuaded, sir, that it will be fulfilled,' said Lord Colambre;
'I am persuaded that, when my mother hears the truth, and the whole
truth--when she finds that your happiness, and the happiness of her
whole family, depend upon her yielding her taste on one subject--'

'Oh, I see now what you are about,' cried Lady Clonbrony; 'you are
coming round with your persuasions and prefaces to ask me to give
up Lon'on, and go back with you to Ireland, my lord. You may save
yourselves the trouble, all of you, for no earthly persuasions shall
make me do it. I will never give up my taste on that PINT. My happiness
has a right to be as much considered as your father's, Colambre, or
anybody's; and, in one word, I won't do it,' cried she, rising angrily
from the breakfast-table.

'There! did not I tell you how it would be?' cried Lord Clonbrony.

'My mother has not heard me, yet,' said Lord Colambre, laying his hand
upon his mother's arm, as she attempted to pass; 'hear me, madam, for
your own sake. You do not know what will happen, this very day--this
very hour, perhaps--if you do not listen to me.'

'And what will happen?' said Lady Clonbrony, stopping short.

'Ay, indeed; she little knows,' said Lord Clonbrony, 'what's hanging
over her head.'

'Hanging over my head?' said Lady Clonbrony, looking up; 'nonsense!
what?'

An execution, madam!' said Lord Colambre.

'Gracious me! an execution!' said Lady Clonbrony, sitting down again;
'but I heard you talk of an execution months ago, my lord, before my son
went to Ireland, and it blew over I heard no more of it.'

'If won't blow over now,' said Lord Clonbrony; 'you'll hear more of it
now. Sir Terence O'Fay it was, you may remember, that settled it then.'

'Well, and can't he settle it now? Send for him, since he understands
these cases; and I will ask him to dinner myself, for your sake, and be
very civil to him, my lord.'

'All your civility, either for my sake or your own, will not signify a
straw, my dear, in this case--a