n, affecting to be struck by the shrewdness of
the speaker.

"See, now," said Tom, who began to feel a certain importance from being
listened to, "I know faymales well, and so I ought! but take the nicest,
quietest, and most innocent one among them, and by my conscience ye 'll
see, 't is money and money's worth she cares for more nor the best man
that ever stepped! Tell her 'tis silk she'll be wearin', and goold
in her ears, and ye may be as ould and ogly as Tim Hogan at the cross
roods!"

"You have n't a good opinion of the fair sex, Thomas," said Linton,
carelessly, for he was far less interested in his speculations than his
facts. "Well, as to your own case,--leave that in my hands. I may not
have all the influence of Miss Leicester, but I suspect that I can do
what you want on this occasion." And without waiting for the profuse
expressions of his gratitude, Linton passed on and entered the garden,
through which a little path led directly to the door of the cottage.

"At breakfast, I suppose?" said Linton to the servant who received him.

"The master is, sir; but Miss Mary isn't well this morning."

"Nothing of consequence, I hope?"

"Only a headache from fatigue, sir." So saying, he ushered Linton, whose
visits were admitted on the most intimate footing, into the room where
Mr. Corrigan sat by himself at the breakfast-table.

"Alone, sir!" said Linton as he closed the door behind him, and
conveying in his look an air of surprise and alarm.

"Yes, Mr. Linton, almost the only time I remember to have been so for
many a year. My poor child has had a night of some anxiety, which,
although bearing well at the time, has exacted its penalty at last in a
slight attack of fever. It will, I trust, pass over in a few hours; and
you,--where have you been; they said you had been absent for a day or
two?"

"A very short ramble, sir,--one of business rather than pleasure. I
learned suddenly--by a newspaper paragraph, too--that a distant relative
of my mother's had died in the East, leaving a considerable amount
of property to myself; and so, setting out, I arrived at Limerick,
intending to sail for Liverpool, when, who should I meet, almost the
first person I saw, but my agent, just come in haste from London, to
confer with me on the subject. The meeting was so far agreeable, that it
saved me a journey I had no fancy for, and also put me in possession of
the desired information regarding the property. My agent, speaking