tic state; and while his fortune would seem a small one to
you extravagant Americans, he is what we Irish paupers would call well
to do."

Lady Killbally was suspiciously willing to give me all this
information,--so much so that I ventured to ask about the children.

"They are captivating, neglected little things," she said. "Madame La
Touche, an aged aunt, has the ostensible charge of them, and she is a
most easy-going person. The servants are of the 'old family' sort,
the reckless, improvident, untidy, devoted, quarrelsome creatures that
always stand by the ruined Irish gentry in all their misfortunes, and
generally make their life a burden to them at the same time. Gerald is a
saint, and therefore never complains."

"It never seems to me that saints are altogether adapted to positions
like these," I sighed; "sinners would do ever so much better. I should
like to see Dr. La Touche take off his halo, lay it carefully on the
bureau, and wield a battle-axe. The world will never acknowledge his
merit; it will even forget him presently, and his life will have been
given up to the evolution of the passive virtues. Do you suppose he will
recognise the tender passion if it ever does bud in his breast, or will
he think it a weed, instead of a flower, and let it wither for want of
attention?"

"I think his friends will have to enhance his self-respect, or he
will for ever be too modest to declare himself," said Lady Killbally.
"Perhaps you can help us: he is probably going to America this winter to
lecture at some of your universities, and he may stay there for a year
or two, so he says. At any rate, if the right woman ever appears on
the scene, I hope she will have the instinct to admire and love and
reverence him as we do," and here she smiled directly into my eyes, and
slipping her pretty hand under the tablecloth squeezed mine in a manner
that spoke volumes.

It is not easy to explain one's desire to marry off all the unmarried
persons in one's vicinity. When I look steadfastly at any group of
people, large or small, they usually segregate themselves into twos
under my prophetic eye. It they are nice and attractive, I am pleased to
see them mated; if they are horrid and disagreeable, I like to think of
them as improving under the discipline of matrimony. It is joy to see
beauty meet a kindling eye, but I am more delighted still to watch a man
fall under the glamour of a plain, dull girl, and it is ecstasy for me
to se