LIFE IN IRELAND 189 



there is more affectation, things are done more openly 

 in Dubhn ; an Irishman can never be ashamed when a 

 woman is in the case ; and I for my own part once 

 knew a young Paddy, who had a fancy for amusing 

 himself with a young lady in his father's parlour, when 

 the old gentleman suddenly returned, and rapped at 

 the door ; escape was impossible — the closets were 

 locked, and a fire was in the grate, so that the only 

 hiding-place was the clock-case, into which Little 

 Sheelah was put in a trice, and there might have 

 remained secure, only she began to cough, and as the 

 old gentleman never heard his clock cough the hour 

 before he took the power of inspecting its body, and 

 handed my lady into day. 



Brian now took a country house at Clontarf, 

 launched a pleasure-boat on the bosom of the Liffey, 

 and set up a curricle and four greys. For some time 

 he figured away at the Curragh of Kildare, and every 

 gaming-house in Dublin ; he became a member of the 

 Hell-fire Club, and Kiddy Society ; and Miss Sally 

 introduced him to the Dove Court, near Mountjoy 

 Square : This consists of four-dozen bang-up ladies, 

 who pay an annual subscription of two guineas each ; 

 they meet once a week to discuss questions of Love, 

 Murder, Politics, and Madness : if any of the members 

 have had the misfortune to get into a scrape, either 

 from accident or design, such as robbing a aistofner, 

 or drawing a tatler in the street : their defence is 

 managed by lawyers of the first eminence, who are paid 

 from the fund, which is very large. Amongst these 

 dandy ladies Brian threw away money by handfuls, 

 and became a complete gambler : his horses were the 



