things now."

"But she has a brother; in short, if he meant to marry her, it would
soon be done. Where there's a will, there's a way."

"But that's where it is; you know young men, and what they are, a
deal better than I do; and you can understand that a young man may
propose to a girl, and be accepted, and afterwards shilly shally
about it, and perhaps at last change his mind altogether--merely
because the girl's friends don't take care that the affair is
regularly and properly carried on; now isn't that so, Mrs. McKeon?"

"Indeed, Father John, it's all true."

"Well, that's just Feemy's case; may be, after, as you say, having
given the young man so much encouragement, she'll lose him because
she has no mother to keep him steady as it were, and fix him; and no
blame to her in the matter either, is there, Mrs. McKeon?"

"Why, if you look at it in that way, of course, she's not so much to
blame."

"Of course not," said Father John, obliged to be satisfied with this
modicum of applause; "of course not; but it's a pity for the poor
girl."

"You think he'll jilt her altogether, then?"

"I don't think he means it yet; but I think he will mean it
soon,--unless, indeed, Mrs. McKeon, you'd befriend her now."

"Me, Father John!"

"If you'd take a mother's part with her for a week or so, it would
all be right; and I don't know a greater charity one Christian could
do another this side the grave, than you could do her."

"What could I do, Father John?" said the good woman,--rather
frightened, for she would now be called on to take some active part
in the matter, which perhaps she might not altogether relish;--"what
could I do? You see Ballycloran is three miles out of this, and I
couldn't always be up there when Ussher was coming. And though I
believe I'd be bold enough where one of my own girls was concerned,
I'd be shy of speaking to a man like Captain Ussher, when it was no
business of my own."

"As for that, I believe you'd never want wit or spirit either, to say
what you'd wish to say to any man, and that in the very best manner.
It's true enough, though, you couldn't be always up at Ballycloran;
but why couldn't Feemy be down at Drumsna?"--Father John paused a
minute, and Mrs. McKeon said nothing, but looked very grave.--"Now
be a good woman, Mrs. McKeon, and ask the poor girl down here for
a fortnight or so; I know Lyddy and Louey are very fond of their
friend, and Feemy'd be nice company for them; and then