a fire lighted in the state-room to-night?' was the next
question I put to her, but never a word she answered; so I concluded she
could not speak a word of English, and was from foreign parts. The short
and the long of it was, I couldn't tell what to make of her; so I left
her to herself, and went straight down to the servants' hall to learn
something for certain about her. Sir Kit's own man was tired, but the
groom set him a-talking at last, and we had it all out before ever I
closed my eyes that night. The bride might well be a great fortune--she
was a JEWISH by all accounts, who are famous for their great riches. I
had never seen any of that tribe or nation before, and could only gather
that she spoke a strange kind of English of her own, that she could not
abide pork or sausages, and went neither to church or mass. Mercy upon
his honour's poor soul, thought I; what will become of him and his,
and all of us, with his heretic blackamoor at the head of the Castle
Rackrent estate? I never slept a wink all night for thinking of it;
but before the servants I put my pipe in my mouth, and kept my mind to
myself, for I had a great regard for the family; and after this, when
strange gentlemen's servants came to the house, and would begin to talk
about the bride, I took care to put the best foot foremost, and passed
her for a nabob in the kitchen, which accounted for her dark complexion
and everything.

The very morning after they came home, however, I saw plain enough
how things were between Sir Kit and my lady, though they were walking
together arm in arm after breakfast, looking at the new building and the
improvements.

'Old Thady,' said my master, just as he used to do, 'how do you do?'

'Very well, I thank your honour's honour,' said I; but I saw he was not
well pleased, and my heart was in my mouth as I walked along after him.

'Is the large room damp, Thady?' said his honour.

'Oh damp, your honour! how should it be but as dry as a bone,' says
I, 'after all the fires we have kept in it day and night? It's the
barrack-room your honour's talking on [See GLOSSARY 20].'

'And what is a barrack-room, pray, my dear?' were the first words I ever
heard out of my lady's lips.

'No matter, my dear,' said he, and went on talking to me, ashamed-like
I should witness her ignorance. To be sure, to hear her talk one might
have taken her for an innocent [See GLOSSARY 21], for it was, 'What's
this, Sir Kit? and what's that, Sir