fear that he may not take the English horses with him.'

'By the way,' said Atlee, half listlessly, 'where _is_ Walpole? What has
become of him?'

'He is in Ireland at this moment.'

'In Ireland! Good heavens! has he not had enough of Ireland?'

'Apparently not. He went over there on Tuesday last.'

'And what can he possibly have to do in Ireland?'

'I should say that _you_ are more likely to furnish the answer to that
question than I. If I'm not much mistaken, his letters are forwarded to the
same country-house where you first made each other's acquaintance.'

'What, Kilgobbin Castle?'

'Yes, it is something Castle, and I think the name you mentioned.'

'And this only puzzles me the more,' added Atlee, pondering. 'His first
visit there, at the time I met him, was a mere accident of travel--a
tourist's curiosity to see an old castle supposed to have some historic
associations.'

'Were there not some other attractions in the spot?' interrupted she,
smiling.

'Yes, there was a genial old Irish squire, who did the honours very
handsomely, if a little rudely, and there were two daughters, or a daughter
and a niece, I'm not very clear which, who sang Irish melodies and talked
rebellion to match very amusingly.'

'Were they pretty?'

'Well, perhaps courtesy would say "pretty," but a keener criticism would
dwell on certain awkwardnesses of manner--Walpole called them Irishries.'

'Indeed!'

'Yes, he confessed to have been amused with the eccentric habits and odd
ways, but he was not sparing of his strictures afterwards.'

'So that there were no "tendernesses?"'

'Oh, I'll not go that far. I rather suspect there were "tendernesses,"
but only such as a fine gentleman permits himself amongst semi-savage
peoples--something that seems to say, "Be as fond of me as you like, and it
is a great privilege you enjoy; and I, on my side, will accord you such of
my affections as I set no particular store by." Just as one throws small
coin to a beggar.'

'Oh, Mr. Atlee!'

'I am ashamed to own that I have seen something of this kind myself.'

'It is not like my cousin Cecil to behave in that fashion.'

'I might say, Lady Maude, that your home experiences of people would prove
a very fallacious guide as to what they might or might not do in a society
of whose ways you know nothing.'

'A man of honour would always be a man of honour.'

'There are men, and men of honour, as there are persons of excellent
principles