a way that the richest of wine had never made it swim
before. Then Lady Mary buried her face in my shoulder with a little
sigh of content, and I knew she was mine in spite of all the Earls and
Countesses in the kingdom, or estates either, so far as that went. At
last she straightened up and made as though she would push me from
her, but held me thus at arms' length, while her limpid eyes looked
like twin lakes of Killarney on a dreamy misty morning when there's no
wind blowing.

"O'Ruddy," she said, solemnly, with a little catch in her voice,
"you're a bold man, and I think you've no doubt of your answer; but
what has happened makes me the more anxious for your success in
dealing with those who will oppose both your wishes and mine. My dear
lover, is what I call you now; you have come over in tempestuous
fashion, with a sword in your hand, striving against every one who
would stand up before you. After this morning, all that should be
changed, for life seems to have become serious and momentous. O'Ruddy,
I want your actions to be guided, not by a drawn sword, but by
religion and by law."

"Troth, Mary acushla, an Irishman takes to religion of his own nature,
but I much misdoubt me if it comes natural to take to the law."

"How often have you been to mass since you came to England, O'Ruddy?"

"How often?" says I, wrinkling my brow, "indeed you mean, how many
times?"

"Yes; how many times?"

"Now, Mary, how could you expect me to be keeping count of them?"

"Has your attendance, then, been so regular?"

"Ah, Mary, darling; it's not me that has the face to tell you a lie,
and yet I'm ashamed to say that I've never set foot in a church since
I crossed the channel, and the best of luck it is for me that good old
Father Donovan doesn't hear these same words."

"Then you will go to church this very day and pray for heaven's
blessing on both of us."

"It's too late for the mass this Sunday, Mary, but the churches are
open, and the first one I come to will have me inside of it."

With that she drew me gently to her, and herself kissed me, meeting
none of that resistance which I had encountered but a short time
before; and then, as bitter ill luck would have it, at this delicious
moment we were startled by the sound of carriage-wheels on the gravel
outside.

"Oh!" cried Lady Mary in a panic; "how time has flown!"

"Indeed," said I, "I never knew it so fast before."

And she, without wasting further time in talki