ore uneasy than he would have been had he
entered a place with less pretence. There is a story current, that
in the west of England the grandeur of middle-aged maiden ladies
is measured by the length of the tail of their cats; and Aby had a
perhaps equally correct idea, that the length of the private drive up
to a gentleman's house, was a fair criterion of the splendour of his
position. If this man had about him as much grandeur as Sir Thomas
himself, would he be so anxious as Aby had hoped to obtain the
additional grandeur of Sir Thomas? It was in that direction that his
mind was operating when he got down from the car and rang at the
door-bell.

Mr. Owen, as everybody called him, was at home, but not down; and
so Aby was shown into the dining-room. It was now considerably past
nine; and the servant told him that his master must be there soon, as
he had to eat his breakfast and be at the hunt by eleven. The servant
at Hap House was more unsophisticated than those at Castle Richmond,
and Aby's personal adornments had had their effect. He found himself
sitting in the room with the cups and saucers,--aye, and with the
silver tea-spoons; and began again to trust that his mission might be
successful.

And then the door opened, and a man appeared, clad from top to toe in
hunting costume. This was not Owen Fitzgerald, but his friend Captain
Donnellan. As it had happened, Captain Donnellan was the only guest
who had graced the festivities of Hap House on the previous evening;
and now he appeared at the breakfast table before his host. Aby got
up from his chair when the gentleman entered, and was proceeding to
business; but the Captain gave him to understand that the master of
the house was not yet in presence, and so Aby sat down again. What
was he to do when the master did arrive? His story was not one which
would well bear telling before a third person.

And then, while Captain Donnellan was scanning this visitor to
his friend Owen, and bethinking himself whether he might not be a
sheriff's officer, and whether if so some notice ought not to be
conveyed up stairs to the master of the house, another car was driven
up to the front door. In this case the arrival was from Castle
Richmond, and the two servants knew each other well. "Thady," said
Richard, with much authority in his voice, "this gentl'man is Mr.
Prendergast from our place, and he must see the masther before he
goes to the hunt." "Faix and the masther 'll have s