302 LIFE IN IRELAND 



leading the way in Lady Demiquaver's curricle and 

 pair. 



The party reached Dublin in fine style, and Brian 

 exclaimed, the best of friends will fall out, and are sure 

 to fall in whenever they please; so what wonder the 

 Ross militia and the volunteers should quarrel about a 

 bit of roguery? 



I am no advocate for anything dishonest in any man, 

 but more particularly in a soldier, who is deputed and 

 paid by his country to be an honourable man, and is 

 emphatically called a ^ gentlemafi soldier'') that such 

 gentlemen should make free with a ladies shawl or her 

 ridicule, is not much to be wondered at, when we con- 

 sider the ?'idiculoiis way in which some ladies conduct 

 themselves. I remember an acquaintance of mine, 

 worth twelve hundred a year ; she fell in love with a 

 Serjeant, whom she saw on parade from her house 

 in Sackville-street, and admired his fine form, tight 

 leathers, and shining helmet. 



' Ah, she lov'd this bold dragoon, 

 For his long sword, saddle, bridle ' ; 



and something besides, of which I am not at liberty to 

 speak. The event was, the fellow became a gentleman, 

 bought himself a commission wuth her money, kept a 

 mistress, and managed to break her heart in a twelve- 

 month after the honeymoon. 



Thus spoke Lady Demiquaver, as they drove up to 

 Darey's Hotel in Earl-street, where Sir Shawn had 

 engaged them all to dinner with the mess of the regi- 

 ment. Everybody that has been in Dublin, and heard 

 of Catholic Emancipation, must have seen old Darey : 



