get at Ballybruree. This offer she gladly accepted.
Indeed, she told me that she had herself thought of returning to
Whithyford, in order to avoid the persevering addresses of Mr Gillooly
and her other admirers. The frigate was to remain on the coast for a
week or ten days, after which time she had been ordered to go round to
Portsmouth to refit. Captain Oliver, therefore, kindly offered my
mother and me a passage, should she in the meantime be able to make
arrangements for her departure. For this proposal she was very
grateful. A journey across the whole width of Ireland and England was
both difficult, hazardous, and very expensive, if performed in a
comfortable manner. I was delighted with the thoughts of meeting again
the Little Lady with the kind Misses Schank; for I must confess that the
habits and customs of my relatives did not suit my taste much more than
they did that of my mother. As to the ball, I need not further describe
it. The ladies who came from a distance occupied all the upper rooms in
the house, while the gentlemen were stowed away in the lower rooms and
out-houses, many of them, however, little knowing how they got to bed or
where they were.

Great was the lamentation her friends expressed when my mother's
determination of going to England was made known; indeed, some
considered that a decided insult was offered to her native country. Mr
Gillooly, indeed, made some remarks as to her motives, which certainly
did not further his cause.

We set off the next day for Ballybruree with the rest of our party, my
uncle and aunt inviting us to return to Ballyswiggan, there to remain
till the frigate was ready to take us on board. Mr Tim Laffan, who
showed much good feeling, undertook to dispose of my mother's few
possessions, and in the course of a few days placed in her hands a sum
which she considered even more than their value.

"Well, Mrs Burton, I had hoped other things," he said, as he shook her
warmly by the hand, as she was mounting her pony to proceed to
Ballyswiggan, "but I know enough about ladies' hearts to be aware that
they are more difficult to manage than the toughest lawsuit."

Dan Hogan was away on duty, and we were off before he returned, but
Captain Michael Tracy insisted on walking by my mother's side all the
way to Ballyswiggan; indeed I could not help thinking that if anyone was
to win her heart, he was likely to be the happy man. We had a somewhat
moving scene when bidd