To exchange the glories of London life, the fascinations of
a great Court, and the society of the first people in the land, for
the lesser splendours of a second-rate capital; perhaps you might have
smiled at the simplicity of wishing you joy for all this," and here her
voice assumed a deeper, fuller accent. "I own that I do not feel Ireland
in a position to bear even a smile of scorn without offence to one of
her children."

"I was not aware till now, that you could suspect me of such a feeling."

"You are an Englishman, sir, that's enough," said Kate hurriedly; "in
_your_ eyes, we are the people you have conquered, and it would be too
much to expect you should entertain great respect for the prejudices
you have laboured to subdue. But after all, there is a distinction worth
making, and you have not made it."

"And that is, if I dare ask--" "That is, there is a wide difference
between conquering the territory, and gaining the affections of a
people. You have succeeded in one; you'll never, at least by your
present courses, accomplish the other."

"Speak more plainly to me," said Travers, who felt a double interest in
a conversation which every moment contained an allusion that bore upon
his own fortune.

"There, there, sir," said Kate, proudly, "your very request is an answer
to yourself. We, here, who have known each other for some time, have
had opportunities of interchanging opinions and sentiments, cannot
understand a simple matter in the same way, nor regard it in the same
light, how do you suppose, that millions separated by distance, habits
and pursuits, can attain to what we, with our advantages, have failed
in. Can you not see that we are not the same people.

"But need our dissimilitudes sever--may they not be made rather ties to
bind us more closely together," said he, tenderly.

"Equality for the future, even if we obtained it, cannot eradicate the
memory of the past. The penal laws----"

"Come--come. There is no longer any thing there. See the University
for instance--by-the-bye," and here Travers caught eagerly at the
opportunity of escape, "what of Herbert, is not this near the time for
his examination?"

"The very day, the 28th of February," said she, reading from a small
memorandum book. "It is six weeks yesterday since we have seen him--poor
boy!"

"How pale and sickly he looked too. I wish with all my heart, he had not
set his mind so eagerly on College success."

"It is only for women