h heaven of happiness--for hadn't she music and
punch galore? and though the glory of her once well-starched cap was
dimmed, if not totally extinguished by the dust and heat, her heart
was now too warm with the fun to grieve for that, especially when
such a neat made boy as Barney Egan was dancing foranenst her. It did
not, however, add to her happiness, when, after being addressed once
or twice in vain, she heard her young master's voice.

"Biddy--d'ye hear, and be d----d to you!--is your misthress gone
home?"

"'Deed, Mr. Thady, I think she be."

"And why the divil, then, a'nt you gone with her? d'you mane to be
dancing here all night?"

Now Thady was in general so very unobservant--so little inclined
to interfere with, if he could not promote, the amusements of his
dependants--moreover, so unaccustomed to scold--that Biddy and the
others round her soon saw that something was the matter.

"What are you staring at, you born fool? If Miss Feemy's gone up to
Ballycloran, do you follow her."

Thady's thick voice, red face, and sparkling eyes showed that he
was intoxicated, and Biddy, if not preparing to obey him--for the
temptation to stay was too strong--was preparing to pretend to do so,
when Mary McGovery, by way of allaying Macdermot's wrath, said,

"I don't believe then, Mr. Thady, that Miss Feemy's gone home, at all
at all. I think she and the Captain is only walked down the lane a
bit, jist to cool themselves, for sure it's hot work dancing--"

Thady did not stop to ask any more questions, but hurried out of
the door, and turning away from Ballycloran, walked as fast as his
unsteady legs would carry him towards Mohill; and, unfortunately,
Ussher and Feemy were strolling down the lane in that direction.

When Pat Brady saw Macdermot hurry out of the house, he said to his
sister, "Begad! Mary, you'd better hurry down the lane--if Captain
Ussher and Miss Feemy is in it--jist to take care of her; for he and
the masther 'll have a great fight of it this night. The masther's
blood's up, and the two'll be slating one another afore they're
parted."

"Goodness gracious!" exclaimed Mary, "why don't you go yourself, Pat?
Mr. Thady's taken a dhrop, and maybe he'll be hurting Miss Feemy
or the Captain. Denis, dear,"--her husband came in the room just
then,--"there's a ruction between the Captain and Mr. Thady; in God's
name go and bring away Miss Feemy!"

Ussher and Feemy had not been out of the house many minutes