full of strong antipathies and bitter resentments. Why do you feel
an antipathy against the girl?"

"Who can account for antipathies, mother? I cannot account for this."

"And perhaps on her part the poor girl is attached to you."

"Well, but you have not answered my question. How am I to act? Which
step should I take first--the quietus, of 'curds-and-whey,' or the
courtship? The sooner matters come to a conclusion the better. I wish,
if possible, to know what is before me: I cannot bear uncertainty in
this or anything else."

"I scarcely know how to advise you," she replied; "both steps are of
the deepest importance, but certainly which to take first is a necessary
consideration. I am of opinion that our best plan is simply to take a
day or two to think it over, after which we will compare notes and come
to a conclusion." And so it was determined.

We need scarcely assure our readers that honest and affectionate
Barney Casey felt a deep interest in the recovery of the generous and
kind-hearted Charles Lindsay, nor that he allowed a single day to pass
without going, at least two or three times, to ascertain whether there
was any appearance of his convalescence. On the day following that on
which Mrs. Lindsay had declared the future disposition of her property
he went to see Charles as usual, when the latter, after having stated to
him that he felt much better, and the fever abating, he said,--

"Casey, I have rather strange news for you."

"Be it good, bad, or indifferent, sir," replied Barney, "you could
tell me no news that would plaise me half so much as that there is a
certainty of your gettin' well again."

"Well, I think there is, Barney. I feel much better to-day than I have
done for a long while--but the news, are you not anxious to hear it?"

"Why, I hope I'll hear it soon, Masther Charles, especially if it's
good; but if it's not good I'm jack-indifferent about it."

"It is good, Barney, to me at least, but not so to my brother Woodward."

Barney's ears, if possible, opened and expanded themselves on hearing
this. To him it was a double gratification: first, because it was
favorable to the invalid, to whom he was so sincerely attached; and
secondly, because it was not so to Woodward, whom he detested.

"My mother yesterday told me that she has made up her mind to leave me
all her property if I recover, instead of to Harry, for whom she had
originally intended it."

Barney, on hearing this intell