the demand made rises to seventeen or eighteen shillings in
the pound--as was the case in some districts in those days,--when out
of every pound of rent that he paid the tenant claimed to deduct nine
shillings for poor rates, that is, half the amount levied--then a
landlord becomes anxious enough as to the peculiarities of his own
electoral division.

In the case of Protestant clergymen, the whole rate had to be paid
by the incumbent. A gentleman whose half-yearly rent-charge amounted
to perhaps two hundred pounds might have nine tenths of that sum
deducted from him for poor rates. I have known a case in which the
proportion has been higher than this.

And then the tenants in such districts began to decline to pay any
rent at all--in very many cases could pay no rent at all. They, too,
depended on the potatoes which were gone; they, too, had been subject
to those dreadful demands for poor rates; and thus a landlord whose
property was in any way embarrassed had but a bad time of it. The
property from which Lady Desmond drew her income had been very much
embarrassed; and for her the times were very bad.

In such periods of misfortune, a woman has always some friend. Let
her be who she may, some pair of broad shoulders is forthcoming on
which may be laid so much of the burden as is by herself unbearable.
It is the great privilege of womanhood, that which compensates them
for the want of those other privileges which belong exclusively to
manhood--sitting in Parliament, for instance, preaching sermons, and
going on 'Change.

At this time Lady Desmond would doubtless have chosen the shoulders
of Owen Fitzgerald for the bearing of her burden, had he not turned
against her, as he had done. But now there was no hope of that. Those
broad shoulders had burdens of their own to bear of another sort, and
it was at any rate impossible that he should come to share those of
Desmond Court.

But a champion was forthcoming; one, indeed, whose shoulders were
less broad; on looking at whose head and brow Lady Desmond could not
forget her years as she had done while Owen Fitzgerald had been near
her;--but a champion, nevertheless, whom she greatly prized. This was
Owen's cousin, Herbert Fitzgerald.

"Mamma," her daughter said to her one evening, as they were sitting
together in the only room which they now inhabited. "Herbert wants us
to go to that place near Kilcommon to-morrow, and says he will send
the car at two. I suppose I can g