ll the girls,
looked exceedingly black, and the Captain foolish; and Miss Nora, who
was again by his side, ready to cry. Captain Fagan sat smiling; and I
looked on as cold as a stone. I thought the dinner would choke me: but
I was determined to put a good face on it, and when the cloth was drawn,
filled my glass with the rest; and we drank the King and the Church,
as gentlemen should. My uncle was in high good-humour, and especially
always joking with Nora and the Captain. It was, 'Nora, divide that
merry-thought with the Captain! see who'll be married first.' 'Jack
Quin, my dear boy, never mind a clean glass for the claret, we're short
of crystal at Castle Brady; take Nora's and the wine will taste none the
worse;' and so on. He was in the highest glee,--I did not know why. Had
there been a reconciliation between the faithless girl and her lover
since they had come into the house?

I learned the truth very soon. At the third toast, it was always the
custom for the ladies to withdraw; but my uncle stopped them this time,
in spite of the remonstrances of Nora, who said, 'Oh, pa! do let us go!'
and said, 'No, Mrs. Brady and ladies, if you plaise; this is a sort of
toast that is drunk a great dale too seldom in my family, and you'll
plaise to receive it with all the honours. Here's CAPTAIN AND MRS.
JOHN QUIN, and long life to them. Kiss her, Jack, you rogue: for 'faith
you've got a treasure!'

'He has already '----I screeched out, springing up.

'Hold your tongue, you fool--hold your tongue!' said big Ulick, who sat
by me; but I wouldn't hear.

'He has already,' I screamed, 'been slapped in the face this morning,
Captain John Quin; he's already been called coward, Captain John Quin;
and this is the way I'll drink his health. Here's your health, Captain
John Quin!' And I flung a glass of claret into his face. I don't know
how he looked after it, for the next moment I myself was under the
table, tripped up by Ulick, who hit me a violent cuff on the head as I
went down; and I had hardly leisure to hear the general screaming and
skurrying that was taking place above me, being so fully occupied with
kicks, and thumps, and curses, with which Ulick was belabouring me. 'You
fool!' roared he--' you great blundering marplot--you silly beggarly
brat' (a thump at each), 'hold your tongue!' These blows from Ulick, of
course, I did not care for, for he had always been my friend, and had
been in the habit of thrashing me all my life.