im, and assuring him that
the mischief was all owing to Dillon, and that Fitzpatrick, who was a
neighbour and friend of Tony's, had had little or nothing to do with
it; and having left him at his hall-door, he drove quietly home to
his own house, and went soberly to bed.

CHAPTER XVIII.

HOW PAT BRADY AND JOE REYNOLDS WERE ELOQUENT IN VAIN.

The day after Ussher had obtained Feemy's consent to go off with him,
she passed in the same manner as she had that afternoon--sometimes
sitting quiet with her eyes fixed on vacancy--sometimes sobbing and
crying, as though she must have fallen into an hysterical fit. Once
or twice she attempted to make some slight preparation for her visit
to Mrs. McKeon's, such as looking through her clothes, mending them,
&c., but in fact she did nothing. The next day, Sunday, she spent in
the same manner; she omitted going to mass, a thing she had not done
for years, unless kept at home by very bad weather, or real illness;
she never took up a book, nor spoke a word, except such as she could
not possibly avoid, to the servant or her father. Of Thady she saw
nothing, except at her meals, and then they took no notice of each
other. They had not spoken since the night when Thady had upbraided
her whilst walking in the lane with Ussher.

On the Monday morning she was obliged to exert herself, for she had
to pack the little trunk that was to carry her ball-room finery to
Mrs. McKeon's, and prepare everything that was necessary for her
visit.

Biddy, the favourite of the two girls, had once or twice asked her
mistress what ailed her, and whether she was ill; but Feemy only
answered her crossly that she was bothered with that horrid headache,
and the girl could only believe that either this was actually the
case, or else that she had quarrelled with her lover; and as it
was now three days since he had been at Ballycloran, she at last
determined that this was the case.

During these three days, Feemy had frequently made up her mind, or
rather she fancied she had made up her mind to give Ussher up,--to go
and confess it all to Father John, or to tell it to Mrs. McKeon; and
if it had not been for the false pride within her, which would not
allow her to own that she had been deceived, and that her lover was
unworthy, she would have done so. His present coolness, and his
cruelty in not coming to see her, though they did not destroy her
love, greatly shook it; and had she had one kind word to