ged to you for letting me in,' cried
Mrs. Petito, adjusting her shawl in the passage, and speaking in a voice
and manner well mimicked after her betters. 'You are so very good and
kind, and I am so much obliged to you.'

'You are not obliged to me, and I am neither good nor kind,' said old
Reynolds.

'You strange man,' said Mrs. Petito, advancing graceful in shawl
drapery; but she stopped short. 'My Lord Colambre and Count O'Halloran,
as I hope to be saved!'

'I did not know Mrs. Petito was an acquaintance of yours, gentlemen,'
said Mr. Reynolds, smiling shrewdly.

Count O'Halloran was too polite to deny his acquaintance with a lady
who challenged it by thus naming him; but he had not the slightest
recollection of her, though it seems he had met her on the stairs when
he visited Lady Dashfort at Killpatrickstown. Lord Colambre was 'indeed
UNDENIABLY AN OLD AQUAINTANCE:' and as soon as she had recovered from
her first natural start and vulgar exclamation, she with very easy
familiarity hoped 'My Lady Clonbrony, and my lord, and Miss Nugent, and
all her friends in the family, were well;' and said, 'she did not
know whether she was to congratulate his lordship or not upon Miss
Broadhurst, my Lady Berryl's marriage, but she should soon have to hope
for his lordship's congratulations for another marriage in HER present
family--lady Isabel to Colonel Heathcock, who has come in for a large
portion, and they are buying the wedding clothes--sights of clothes--and
the di'monds, this day; and Lady Dashfort and my Lady Isabel sent me
especially, sir, to you, Mr. Reynolds, and to tell you, sir, before
anybody else; and to hope the cheese COME safe up again at last; and
to ask whether the Iceland moss agrees with your chocolate, and is
palatable; it's the most DILUENT thing upon the universal earth, and the
most TONIC and fashionable--the DUTCHES of Torcaster takes it always for
breakfast, and Lady St. James' too is quite a convert, and I hear the
Duke of V--takes it too.'

'And the devil may take it too, for anything that I care,' said old
Reynolds.

'Oh, my dear, dear sir! you are so refractory a patient.'

'I am no patient at all, ma'am, and have no patience either; I am as
well as you are, or my Lady Dashfort either, and hope, God willing, long
to continue so.'

Mrs. Petito smiled aside at Lord Colambre, to mark her perception of the
man's strangeness. Then, in a cajoling voice, addressing herself to the
old gentleman-