was commin over to see de fashions, all de way, an' bein' a friend o' me modher's, was to take care o' me trou the sickness, if I'd get it; an' wud, no doubt, oney she was tuk first, an tumbled head undher into de berth as they call it, an' niver was righted all the passage; an' its smodthered she mayd a' bin, so she med, for de no part of her at all at all was left out (that's o' de berth) but her sittin' quarthers, an' bein' large made—Oh murder! if 'twas n't Misthress o’Connor was to be pitied, shoorely no mortial ever was.” "Are you come to reside in England, young man?" asked the cook.

"Yeh! is it live you mane, ma'am? I am that same then, barrin' it ud disagree wid me healt'. I'm cum on a vissit to Mr. Stapleton ; 'twas a likin' he tuk to me, an' axed as a fever o' my friends to spare me away. So I left me prospects in Cork just to obleedge him, an' come on likin' to see ud it shuit me."

"Has master a place in view for you, or does he intend you to be his own valet?" inquired James, in a rather sarcastic tone.

"Nat at prisint, I b'lieve; its about himself I'm to be, an' take letthers an' parcils an' them things he ud n't thrust to any one, or any little thing to obleedge him."

"Ah! I see a kind of friendly companion; but I do not perceive that you brought any luggage. Does Mr. Stapleton mean to introduce you to his friends in that suit you have on? it seems a little the worse for wear."

"Is it this? Oh! this is just an ould cast off shute, I tougt ud do me to travel in, an' save a betther; an' packed up all me best clothes, an' me shirts, an' me neck hankechers, an' me trackstockin's an' dem things, in a grate big chest, an' hired a man to bring 'em down to de quay, while I'd go round be de back streets, cause I ud n't be seen in me ould cloes; an' be de blissed white-toothed Bridget, whin I cum'd to de quay an' was busy wid one thing or oder, de big koulaune, if he did n't slip de box off his shoulthers, purtendin' 'twas overweighted he was wid it, and let all me bewtiful cloes down to de bottom of de salt say ocean, all among de fishes, that niver 'll be able to open de chest, so they won't; an' no sarvice to them if they cud, seein' fishes doant wear breeches an' that,' ""

"I really must retire," observed the lady in the fly cap, who, being Mrs. Stapleton's own maid, considered the tone of conversation not sufficiently refined for her double-refined ears.

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Really," interrupted a more homely attired

Ꭰ

damsel occupying the office of kitchen-maid, "I think the young man is very amusing; and only to think of the pigs, poor things!"

"He appears to me perfectly uncultivated and gross in his manners," retorted her more delicate fellow-servant. "I am sure I shall consider myself under the distressing necessity of representing to Mrs. Stapleton the impropriety of my associating with such an ignorant unpolished savage as this, if, indeed, Mr. Stapleton can contemplate the possibility of domesticating him amongst people of respectability."

Having delivered herself of as many long words as she could cleverly summon to her aid on this occasion, she gathered up her work, and, with an offended air, took her departure.

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Come, my lad," said James, "I dare say you will have no objection to the comforts of an English bed, after all your fatigues: so I'll shew you the way to one as soon as you like."

Young Mahoney accompanied the friendly footman, under the pleasing consciousness of having tolerably well parried the attacks of the Englishers; and attained sufficient command of himself to conceal whatever degree of astonishment he might in reality feel at the accommodations of his sleeping chamber.

"This room is small," observed James, willing to probe his subject' still farther, "but I do not like to trouble master to-night for orders about you; to-morrow he will, most likely, give his own directions respecting your establishment in his household. You will find your bed soft and warm, I believe, and if any thing should be deficient we will endeavour to rectify it in future."

Many of these words were totally out of the comprehension of Barney. He, however, had tact enough to discover an attempted or pretended apology where none he saw could be due; and as he enscreened himself within the luxurious bedding, he said to himself, "Now was this b'y puttin' his comehether upon me, I wondther! I was a match for him any way, in regard o' me chist o' cloes. Faix! bud I wish de mother o' me had heard me lay it into him that time.",

CHAPTER III.

The Ball Dress.

"MR. STAPLETON, what boy was that you brought home with you last night?" said his lady, at breakfast the following morning.

"Ah! by the way, poor Barney! I had almost forgotten him," was the reply. "James, send the youth up to me, I must see what can be done in the way of fitting him out. I took him from the large family of a very poor labourer I met with in my travels," he continued, after the man had left the room, "intending to employ him as errand-boy in the warehouses; and really the lad shews a degree of shrewdness and quickness that inclines me to think he may be made a valuable house servant of in course of time." Here the door opened, and the raw material, from whence the benevolent merchant had these expectations, appeared at its opening.

"Come in, Barney; come in, my lad; shut the door and come hither, I want to speak to you."