re, something about
halfway between each. She also appeared moody; and if one could judge by
her countenance, felt equally disposed to melancholy or ill-temper.

"Well, madam," said her father, "I hope it's no offence to ask you where
you have been sportin' yourself since? I suppose you went to see Charley
Hanlon; or, what is betther, his masther, young Dick o' the Grange?"

"No," she replied, "I did not. Charley Hanlon! Oh, no!"

"Well, his masther?"

"Don't vex me--don't vex me," she replied, abruptly; "I don't wish to
fight about nothing, or about thrifles, or to give bad answers; but
still, don't vex me, I say."

"There's something in the wind now," observed Nelly; "she's gettin' fast
into one o' her tantrums. I know it by her eyes; she'd as soon whale me
now as cry; and she'd jist as soon cry as whale me. Oh! my lady, I know
you. Here, at any rate, will you have your supper?"

The resentment which had been gathering at Nelly's coarse observations,
disappeared the moment the question as to supper had been put to her.

"Oh! why don't you," she said; "and why didn't you always spake to me in
a kind voice?"

"But about young Dick," said the suspicious prophet; "did you see him
since?"

"No," she replied, calmly and thoughtfully; but, as if catching, by
reflection, the base import of the query, she replied, in a loud and
piercing voice, rendered at once full and keen by indignation. "No! I
say, an' don't dare to suspect me of goin' to Dick o' the Grange, or any
sich profligate."

"Hollo! there's a breeze!" After a pause, "You won't bate us, I hope.
Then, madame, where were you?"

Short as was the period that had passed since her reply and the putting
of this last question, she had relapsed or fallen into a mood of
such complete abstraction, that she heard him not. With her naturally
beautiful and taper hand under her still more finely chiseled chin, she
sat looking, in apparent sorrow and perplexity, into the fire, and while
so engaged, she sighed deeply two or three times.

"Never mind her, man," said Nelly; "let her alone, an' don't draw an
ould house on our heads. She has had a fight with Charley Hanlon, I
suppose; maybe he has refused to marry her, if he ever had any notion of
it--which I don't think he had."

Sarah rose up and approaching her, said:

"What is that you wor saying? Charley Hanlon!--never name him an'
me together, from this minute out. I like him well enough as an
acquaintance, but n