into the hands of a
frantic man?"

"Sure, he ax'd for them, sir."

"Go out o' this, you blockhead! Go and hide them somewhere, where your
master won't find them."

Andy retired, muttering something about the hardness of a servant's
case, in being scolded and called names for doing his master's bidding.
Scatterbrain returned to the room, where the confusion was still in
full bloom; O'Grady swearing between his mother and wife, while Furlong
endeavoured to explain how the young lady happened to be in his room;
and she kicking in hysterics amidst the maids and her sisters, while
Scatterbrain ran to and fro between all the parties, giving an ear to
Furlong, an eye to O'Grady, and smelling salts to his daughter.

The case was a hard one to a milder man than O'Grady--his speculation
about Scatterbrain all knocked on the head, for it could not be expected
_he_ would marry the lady who had been found under another man's bed. To
hush the thing up would be impossible, after the publicity his own fury
had given to the affair. "Would she ever be married after such an affair
was _eclate_?" The question rushed into his head on one side, and the
answer rushed in at the other, and met it with a plump "No!"--the
question and answer then joined hands in O'Grady's mind, and danced down
the middle to the tune of "Haste to the wedding!"

"Yes," he said, slapping his forehead, "she must be married at once."
Then, turning to Furlong, he said, "You're not married, I hope?"

Furlong acknowledged he was not, though he regretted the moment he had
made the admission.

"'T is well for you," said O'Grady, "for it has saved your life. You
shall marry her, then!" He never thought of asking Furlong's
acquiescence in the measure. "Come here, you baggage!" he cried to
Augusta, as he laid hold of her hand, and pulled her up from her chair;
"come here! I intended you for a better man; but since you _have_ such a
hang-dog taste, why, go to him!" And he shoved her over to Furlong.
"There!" he said, addressing _him_, "take her, since you _will_ have
her. We'll speak of her fortune after."

The poor girl stood abashed, sobbing aloud, and tears pouring from her
downcast eyes. Furlong was so utterly taken by surprise, that he was
riveted to the spot where he stood, and could not advance a step towards
his drooping intended. At this awkward moment, the glorious old dowager
came to the rescue; she advanced, tin chimney-pot and all, and taking a
hand of e