should not say insulted.'

'You cannot be an honest judge in such a cause. Every outrage offered to
_me_ was an act of homage to _yourself_! If you but knew how I burned to
tell him who it was whose hand he held in his, and to whose ears he had
poured out his raptures! To tell him, too, how the Greek girl would have
resented his presumption, had he but dared to indulge it! One of the
women-servants, it would seem, was a witness to this boy's declaration.
I think it was Mary was in the room, I do not know for how long, but she
announced her presence by asking some question about candles. In fact, I
shall have become a servants'-hall scandal by this time.'

'There need not be any fear of that, Nina: there are no bad tongues amongst
our people.'

'I know all that. I know we live amidst human perfectabilities--all of
Irish manufacture, and warranted to be genuine.'

'I would hope that some of your impressions of Ireland are not
unfavourable?'

'I scarcely know. I suppose you understand each other, and are tolerant
about capricious moods and ways, which, to strangers, might seem to have a
deeper significance. I believe you are not as hasty, or as violent, or
as rash as you seem, and I am sure you are not as impulsive in your
generosity, or as headlong in your affections. Not exactly that you mean to
be false, but you are hypocrites to yourselves.'

'A very flattering picture of us.'

'I do not mean to flatter you; and it is to this end I say, you are
Italians without the subtlety of the Italian, and Greeks without their
genius.--You need not curtsy so profoundly.--I could say worse than this,
Kate, if I were minded to do so.'

'Pray do not be so minded, then. Pray remember that, even when you wound
me, I cannot return the thrust.'

'I know what you mean,' cried Nina rapidly. 'You are veritable Arabs in
your estimate of hospitality, and he who has eaten your salt is sacred.'

'You remind me of what I had nigh forgotten, Nina--of our coming guests.'

'Do you know why Walpole and his friend are coming?'

'They are already come, Nina--they are out walking with papa; but what has
brought them here I cannot guess, and, since I have heard your description
of Ireland, I cannot imagine.'

'Nor can I,' said she indolently, and moved away.

CHAPTER LXXV

MATHEW KEARNEY'S REFLECTIONS

To have his house full of company, to see his table crowded with guests,
was nearer perfect happiness than anything Kearney kn