ncy with which he told his
stories and his anecdotes, many of them curious, and all more or less
entertaining, accounted to my mind at once for the facility with which
he had improved his acquaintance with O'Connor; and when he pressed
upon us an invitation to sup with him that night, I had almost joined
O'Connor in accepting it. I determined, however, against doing so, for
I had no wish to be on terms of familiarity with Mr. Fitzgerald; and
I knew that one evening spent together as he proposed would go further
towards establishing an intimacy between us than fifty morning visits
could do. When I arose to depart, it was with feelings almost favourable
to Fitzgerald; indeed I was more than half ashamed to acknowledge to my
companion how complete a revolution in my opinion respecting his
friend half an hour's conversation with him had wrought. His appearance
certainly WAS against him; but then, under the influence of his manner,
one lost sight of much of its ungainliness, and of nearly all its
vulgarity; and, on the whole, I felt convinced that report had done
him grievous wrong, inasmuch as anybody, by an observance of the common
courtesies of society, might easily avoid coming into personal collision
with a gentleman so studiously polite as Fitzgerald. At parting,
O'Connor requested me to call upon him the next day, as he intended to
make trial of the merits of a pair of greyhounds, which he had thoughts
of purchasing; adding, that if he could escape in anything like
tolerable time from Fitzgerald's supper-party, he would take the field
soon after ten on the next morning. At the appointed hour, or perhaps a
little later, I dismounted at Castle Connor; and, on entering the
hall, I observed a gentleman issuing from O'Connor's private room. I
recognised him, as he approached, as a Mr. M'Donough, and, being but
slightly acquainted with him, was about to pass him with a bow, when he
stopped me. There was something in his manner which struck me as odd;
he seemed a good deal flurried if not agitated, and said, in a hurried
tone:

'This is a very foolish business, Mr. Purcell. You have some influence
with my friend O'Connor; I hope you can induce him to adopt some more
moderate line of conduct than that he has decided upon. If you will
allow me, I will return for a moment with you, and talk over the matter
again with O'Connor.'

As M'Donough uttered these words, I felt that sudden sinking of the
heart which accompanies the im