148 BEATING THE SPRINGS AND THE WOOD. 



" Well, to tell you the truth, I dread in your 

 case a similar difficulty." 



I confess I felt considerably vexed. What 

 business had the old woman to suppose that I 

 was going to fall in love with her daughter ? 

 Most likely an Irish country girl, with a milk- 

 maid complexion, and a few boarding-school 

 graces. 



" I can assure you, Mrs. Brady, that there is 

 no danger of anything of the kind occurring ; 

 I am not a marrying man." 



" I only wished to have your word on the 

 subject ; it would render our intercourse here 

 less constrained, and I expect Margaret home 

 in three weeks." 



The conversation then turned off from this 

 topic; but I could not prevent myself from 

 feeling very angry, and registering a silent vow 

 that I would show both Mrs. Brady and her 

 daughter that I had no desire for the honour of 

 an alliance with the family. 



Nothing could equal Mr. O'Brien's courtesy 

 and attention to me when I got the ' Eagle ' 

 into hand. Our politics were rather parochial 

 than European, but there were occasions in 



