rejoiced by hearing that
the revenue officer was immediately going to leave the country.
He had only been told it that morning at Mohill, as a secret, and
he therefore presumed that Feemy did not know it. He thought that
he would not distress her by telling her of it now--that he had
better leave her to find it out herself after he was gone; but the
reflection of the misery it would occasion her when she did know it,
gave rise to a feeling of pity for her in his heart, which made him
more inclined to be gentle and tender to her than he had felt for a
long time.

After sitting over the fire with their father for some time, Thady
said,

"Well, Feemy, these are fashionable hours you've brought with you
from Drumsna. Does Mrs. McKeon always dine as late as this? Why it's
half past six!"

"The stupid girl forgot the potatoes, Thady. You could have them now;
but you know, you wouldn't eat them as hard as stones. I'll go and
hurry her."

"'Deed and I'm starving," said the father. "Why can't we have dinner
then, Feemy dear? Why won't they bring dinner in?"

And Feemy went out, not to hurry them, but to cause grounds for fresh
delay. At last, a little after seven, she allowed dinner to go in,
and following it herself, she sat down and made as good a meal as she
could, and endeavoured to answer Thady's questions about the races
and the ball with some appearance of having taken interest, at any
rate in the latter. If she did not altogether succeed, the attempt
was not so futile as to betray her; and the dinner passed over, and
the hot water came in, without anything arising especially to excite
her alarm. At last she heard the front door open, and she listened
with apprehension to every creak the rusty hinges made as Biddy
vainly endeavoured to close it without a noise; but the sounds,
which, in her fear, seemed so loud and remarkable to her, attracted
no notice from her father or brother. Then she mixed their punch. Had
Thady been looking at her he might have seen a tear drop into the
tumbler as she handed it to him; but his eyes were on the fireplace,
and she slipped out of the room without her tell-tale face having
been observed.

It was now, as she calculated, about the time that she should start;
and with trembling hands she tied on her bonnet. Having thrown her
shawl over her shivering shoulders, she opened her book upon the
table with a handkerchief upon it--placed her chair by the fire,
and leaving the candle ali