it is hoped that she
will become, still he was so peculiar in his modes of thought, and
so honest, though by no means wise, in his manner of thinking, as to
make his story also perhaps worth the telling.

Gerald O'Mahony was at the time of the flooding of Mr. Jones's
meadows not much more than forty years old. But he was already the
father of a daughter nearly twenty. Where he was born, from what
parents, or to what portion of Ireland his family belonged, no one
knew. He himself had been heard to declare a suspicion that his
father had come from County Kerry. But as he himself had been,
according to his own statement, probably born in the United States,
the county to which his father had belonged is not important. He had
been bred up as a Roman Catholic, but had long since thrown over all
the prejudices of his religion. He had married when he was quite
young, and had soon lost his wife. But in talking of her now he
always described her as an angel. But though he looked to be so young
as to be his daughter's brother, rather than her father, he had never
thought of marrying again. His daughter he declared was everything to
him. But those who knew him well said that politics were dearer to
him even than his daughter. Since he had been known in County Galway,
he had passed and repassed nearly a dozen times between New York and
Ireland; and his daughter had twice come with him. He had no declared
means, but he had never been known to borrow a shilling, or to leave
a bill unpaid. But he had frequently said aloud that he had no money
left, and that unless he returned to his own country he and his
daughter must be taken in by some poor-house. For Mr. O'Mahony, fond
as he was of Ireland, allowed no one to say that he was an Irishman.

But his troubles were apparently no troubles to him. He was always
good-humoured, and seemed always to be happy--except when in public,
when he was engaged upon politics. Then he would work himself up
to such a state of indignant anger as seemed to be altogether
antagonistic to good-humour. The position he filled,--or had
filled,--was that of lecturer on behalf of the United States. He had
lectured at Manchester, at Glasgow, at Liverpool, and lately all over
Ireland. But he had risen to such a height of wrath in advocating the
doctrine of Republicanism that he had been stopped by the police. He
had been held to have said things disrespectful of the Queen. This
he loudly denied. He had always, he