ter, through the
twilight of the drawing-room, colour and nudity were scattered in
picturesque confusion.

Every mind was occupied by one thought--how the pleasure of the
dinner-party had been spoiled by that horrible Land League discussion.
All wondered who had introduced the subject, and the blame was fixed
upon Mr. Adair. Mrs. Gould, in her homely way, came to the point at
once:

'People say he is so clever, but I am sure I can't see it. He has spent
a fortune in building farmyards in concrete, and his saw-mill, I hear,
costs him twenty pounds a month dead loss, and he is always writing
letters to the papers. I never can think much of a man who writes to the
papers.'

'A most superior man,' said Lady Sarah, who, notwithstanding her
thirty-five years, had not entirely given up hope. 'He took honours at
Trinity.'

Then Mr. Burke and Lord Kilcarney were spoken of, and some new anecdotes
were told of Mr. Ryan. The famous one--how he had asked a lady to show
him her docket at the Galway ball, when she told him that she was
engaged for all the dances--excited, as it never failed to do, a good
deal of laughter. Mrs. Barton did not, however, join in the
conversation. She knew, if she did, that the Ladies Cullen would be as
rude as the absence of Milord, and the fact that she was a guest in
their house would allow them to be. Mrs. Barton's mind was now occupied
with one thought, and, leaning back in her chair, she yielded herself
entirely to it. Although the dinner-party had been spoiled by Mr.
Adair's uncontrollable desire to impart information, she had,
nevertheless, noticed that Captain Hibbert had been very much struck
with Olive's beauty. She was aware that her daughter was a beautiful
girl, but whether men would want to marry her Mrs. Barton did not know.
Captain Hibbert's conduct would help her to arrive at a decision. She
certainly dreamed of a title for Olive. Lord Kilcarney was, alas! not to
be thought of. Ah! if Mr. Burke were only Lord Kilcarney! But he was
not. However, Captain Hibbert would be a fairly good match. He was of
excellent family, had two thousand a year, and a place in the country
and in England too. But why snatch up the very first fish that came by?
There was no saying whom they would meet at the Castle. Still, to
encourage a flirtation could be no harm. If they met anything better, it
could be broken off; if they did not, it would be a very nice match
indeed. Besides, there was no denying th