ng point."

"Oh dear! what is it? This room is so very cold. Don't you think,
Frobisher, that a double door would be advisable?"

"A green one, with a centre pane of glass, would make it devilish like a
'hell,'" said Upton; upon which the company all laughed approvingly.

"What is it you want?" said Meek, approaching, glass in hand.

"Play out the game, and have your gossip afterwards," said Frobisher,
who felt far more anxious about the fate of his twenty pounds than for
the result of the conversation.

"A queen of hearts," said Upton, leading; then, turning to Meek, said,
"These Kennyfeck girls--can you tell what the figure is?"

"Poor dear things," said Meek, piteously; "they should be very well
off."

"I score two!" said Upton. "Well, have they twenty thousand each?"

"I should say more. Oh dear me! they must have more! Kennyfeck holds
a heavy mortgage on Kilgoff's estate, and has a great deal of other
property."

"Then it would be a good thing, Meek, eh?" said Jennings.

"Game!" cried Upton, showing his cards upon the table.

"There is so much chaffing about girls and their fortunes, one can't
play his game here," said Jennings, as he threw down a handful of gold
on the board.

"Who was it ordered the post-horses for to-morrow?" said a youth at the
supper-table. "The MacFarlines?"

"No; Lord Kilgoff."

"I assure you," cried a third, "it was the Kennyfecks. There has been
a 'flare-up' about money between Cashel and him, and it is said he 'll
lose the agency. Who 'll get it, I wonder?"

"Tom Linton, of course," said the former speaker. "I 'd wager he is gone
off to Dublin to furbish up securities, or something of that kind."

"Who'd give Tom trust, or go bail for him?" said Frobisher.

A very general laugh did not sound like a contradiction of the
sentiment.

"I heard a week ago," said the cornet, "that Kilgoff would stand
security to any amount for him."

"Ah, that comes of my Lady's good opinion of him!" cried Jennings.

"Nay, don't say that, it looks so ill-natured," sighed Meek; "and there
is really nothing in it. You know she and Tom were old friends. Oh dear,
it was so sad!"

"Where does Cashel get such execrable champagne?" said an infantryman,
with a very wry expression of face.

"It's dry wine, that's all," said Frobisher, "and about the best ever
imported."

"We 'd be very sorry to drink it at our mess, my Lord, I know that,"
said the other, evidently nettled at the correction.