to
him, and this shy queer old gentleman has a fatherly fondness for her
too, for in truth his heart is full of kindness, and he is never easy
unless he loves somebody.

Costigan has had the carriages of visitors of distinction before his
humble door in Shepherd's Inn: and to hear him talk of a morning (for
his evening song is of a much more melancholy nature) you would fancy
that Sir Charles and Lady Mirabel were in the constant habit of calling
at his chambers, and bringing with them the select nobility to visit the
"old man, the honest old half-pay Captain, poor old Jack Costigan," as
Cos calls himself.

The truth is, that Lady Mirabel has left her husband's card (which
has been stuck in the little looking-glass over the mantelpiece of the
sitting-room at No. 4, for these many months past), and has come in
person to see her father, but not of late days. A kind person, disposed
to discharge her duties gravely, upon her marriage with Sir Charles she
settled a little pension upon her father, who occasionally was admitted
to the table of his daughter and son-in-law. At first poor Cos's
behaviour "in the hoight of poloit societee," as he denominated Lady
Mirabel's drawing-room table, was harmless, if it was absurd. As he
clothed his person in his best attire, so he selected the longest and
richest words in his vocabulary to deck his conversation, and adopted a
solemnity of demeanour which struck with astonishment all those persons
in whose company he happened to be.--"Was your Leedyship in the Pork to
dee?" he would demand of his daughter. "I looked for your equipage
in veen:--the poor old man was not gratified by the soight of his
daughther's choriot. Sir Chorlus, I saw your neem at the Levee; many's
the Levee at the Castle at Dublin that poor old Jack Costigan has
attended in his time. Did the Juke look pretty well? Bedad, I'll call
at Apsley House and lave me cyard upon 'um. I thank ye, James, a little
dthrop more champeane." Indeed, he was magnificent in his courtesy
to all, and addressed his observations not only to the master and the
guests, but to the domestics who waited at the table, and who had some
difficulty in maintaining their professional gravity while they waited
on Captain Costigan.

On the first two or three visits to his son-in-law, Costigan maintained
a strict sobriety, content to make up for his lost time when he got
to the Back Kitchen, where he bragged about his son-in-law's dart and
burgundee,