as inclined
to hope that she would recover her usual health and spirit. As soon as
I could I mentioned my own narrow escape, and Larry's loss, for I knew
that, should my uncle tell any one, there would soon be an uproar of
wild wailing in the kitchen, which might alarm her if she did not know
the cause. I was right, for, as the major had thought it best to
mention what had happened, the news soon spread throughout the house.
As I went down-stairs a chorus of shrieks and cries reached my ears,
expressive of the domestics' grief at Larry's loss. It was some time
before I ventured down among them to give an account of what had
happened; and as I narrated the circumstances, between each sentence
there arose a chorus of cries and sighs.

"Och ahone! och ahone! and we'll never be after seeing Larry Harrigan
again," cried Biddy and Molly together.

Similar exclamations burst from the lips of the other domestics, and I
confess that my feelings were sufficiently sensitive to make me thankful
to get away to the parlour. The supper was more cheerful than I
expected it would be. Maurice and his young wife did the honours of the
house with becoming grace. Of course I had plenty of accounts to give
of my adventures in the Mediterranean. They were highly amused at my
account of Lord Robert; and Fitzgerald exclaimed that he wished he could
get him to Ballinahone, and they would soon knock his dignity out of
him. As Maurice had sheathed his sword, Denis had determined to take
his place as one of the defenders of his country. My uncle told me that
he hoped soon to get a commission for him in the same regiment.

"Maurice stood well among his brother officers, and that will give Denis
a good footing as soon as he joins," he observed to me. "He is a
steady, sensible boy, and with his Irish dash and pluck he is sure to
get on in the army. We have plenty of fellows with the latter
qualities, but too few with the former, for they fancy if they're
tolerably brave they may be as harum-scarum, rollicking, and careless as
they like. I wish that Denis had seen something of the world before he
joins his regiment, for he's as green as a bunch of shamrock. If it
could be managed, I should like him to take a cruise with you, Terence,
and to run up to Dublin for a few weeks, but funds are wanting for the
purpose, though, as you observe, we have managed to get the house into
better order than it has been of late years."

"I have some pri