intended for Peter's ears. "We must find out who he is. I suppose
you know the Princess, sir? Don't you love her?" said she, addressing
Dalton.

"Faix! if you mean the old lady covered with snuff that comes here to
have her dogs washed at the well, without intending any offence to
you, I do not. To tell you the truth, ma'am, when I was in the habit of
fallin' in love, it was a very different kind of creature that did it!
Ay, ay, 'the days is gone when beauty bright my heart's ease spoilt.'"

"My heart's chain wove,'" smiled and whispered Mrs. Ricketts.

"Just so. It comes to the same thing. Give me the wine, Fritz. Will you
drink a glass of wine with me, sir?"

The invitation was addressed to General Ricketts, who, by dint of
several shoves, pokings, and admonitions, was at last made aware of the
proposition.

"Your father's getting a little the worse for wear, miss," said Dalton
to Martha, who blushed at even the small flattery of the observation.

"The General's services have impaired his constitution," remarked Mrs.
Ricketts, proudly.

"Ay, and to all appearance it was nothing to boast of in the beginning,"
replied Peter, as he surveyed with self-satisfaction his own portly
form.

"Fourteen years in the Hima-Hima-Hima--"

"Himalaya, Scroope,----the Himalaya."

"The highest mountains in the world!" continued Purvis.

"For wet under foot, and a spongy soil that never dries, I'll back the
Galtees against them any day. See, now, you can walk from morning to
night, and be over your head at every step you go."

"Where are they?" inquired Scroope.

"Why, where would they be? In Ireland, to be sure; and here's prosperity
to her, and bad luck to Process-servers, 'Polis,' and Poor-Law
Commissioners!" Dalton drained his glass with solemn energy to his
toast, and looked as though his heart was relieved of a weight by this
outburst of indignation.

"You Irish are so patriotic!" exclaimed Mrs. Ricketts, enthusiastically.

"I believe we are," replied Dalton. "'T is only we 've an odd way of
showing it."

"I remark that they ne-never live in Ireland when they can li-live out
of it," cackled Purvis.

"Well, and why not? Is it by staying at home in the one place people
learns improvements? you might drink whiskey-punch for forty years
and never know the taste of champagne. Potatoes wouldn't teach you the
flavor of truffles. There's nothing like travellin'!"

"Very true," sighed Mrs. Ricketts; "but, as the poet