ry faulty if it came from any one else.

"I'm in earnest now, Father Marty. What shall we do if our darling Kate
thinks of this young man more than is good for her?" Father Marty raised
his hat and began to scratch his head. "If you like to look at the fair
face of a handsome lad--"

"I do thin, Misthress O'Hara."

"Must not she like it also?"

"I'll go bail she likes it," said the priest.

"And what will come next?"

"I'll tell you what it is, Misthress O'Hara. Would you want to keep her
from even seeing a man at all?"

"God forbid."

"It's not the way to make them happy, nor yet safe. If it's to be
that way wid her, she'd better be a nun all out; and I'd be far from
proposing that to your Kate."

"She is hardly fit for so holy a life."

"And why should she? I niver like seeing too many of 'em going that way,
and them that are prittiest are the last I'd send there. But if not
a nun, it stands to reason she must take chance with the rest of 'em.
She's been too much shut up already. Let her keep her heart till he asks
her for it; but if he does ask her, why shouldn't she be his wife? How
many of them young officers take Irish wives home with 'em every year.
Only for them, our beauties wouldn't have a chance."

CHAPTER VII.

FATHER MARTY'S HOSPITALITY.

Such was the philosophy, or, perhaps, it may be better said such was the
humanity of Father Marty! But in encouraging Mrs. O'Hara to receive this
dangerous visitor he had by no means spoken without consideration. In
one respect we must abandon Father Marty to the judgment and censure
of fathers and mothers. The whole matter looked at from Lady Scroope's
point of view was no doubt very injurious to the priest's character. He
regarded a stranger among them, such as was Fred Neville, as fair spoil,
as a Philistine to seize whom and capture him for life on behalf of any
Irish girl would be a great triumph;--a spoiling of the Egyptian to
the accomplishment of which he would not hesitate to lend his priestly
assistance, the end to be accomplished, of course, being marriage. For
Lord Scroope and his family and his blood and his religious fanaticism
he could entertain no compassion whatever. Father Marty was no great
politician, and desired no rebellion against England. Even in the days
of O'Connell and repeal he had been but luke-warm. But justice for
Ireland in the guise of wealthy English husbands for pretty Irish
girls he desired with all his heart. He