h his present dress allowed to be seen, was perfect in
its symmetry of strength. His bright chestnut hair clustered round
his forehead, and his eye shone like that of a hawk. They must have
been wrong who said that he commonly spent his nights over the
wine-cup. That pleasure always leaves its disgusting traces round the
lips; and Owen Fitzgerald's lips were as full and lusty as Apollo's.
Mollett, as he saw him, was stricken with envy. "If I could only get
enough money out of this affair to look like that," was his first
thought, as his eye fell on the future heir; not understanding, poor
wretch that he was, that all the gold of California could not bring
him one inch nearer to the goal he aimed at. I think I have said
before, that your silk purse will not get itself made out of that
coarse material with which there are so many attempts to manufacture
that article. And Mr. Prendergast rose from his chair when he saw
him, with a respect that was almost involuntary. He had not heard
men speak well of Owen Fitzgerald;--not that ill-natured things had
been said by the family at Castle Richmond, but circumstances had
prevented the possibility of their praising him. If a relative or
friend be spoken of without praise, he is, in fact, censured. From
what he had heard he had certainly not expected a man who would look
so noble as did the owner of Hap House, who now came forward to ask
him his business.

Both Mr. Prendergast and Aby Mollett rose at the same time. Since the
arrival of the latter gentleman, Aby had been wondering who he might
be, but no idea that he was that lawyer from Castle Richmond had
entered his head. That he was a stranger like himself, Aby saw; but
he did not connect him with his own business. Indeed he had not
yet realized the belief, though his father had done so, that the
truth would be revealed by those at Castle Richmond to him at Hap
House. His object now was that the old gentleman should say his say
and begone, leaving him to dispose of the other young man in the
top-boots as best he might. But then, as it happened, that was also
Mr. Prendergast's line of action.

"Gentlemen," said Owen, "I beg your pardon for keeping you waiting;
but the fact is that I am so seldom honoured in this way in a
morning, that I was hardly ready. Donnellan, there's the tea; don't
mind waiting. These gentlemen will perhaps join us." And then he
looked hard at Aby, as though he trusted in Providence that no such
profana