him in succession two daughters--Alice, the elder, dark-eyed and
dark-haired, grave and sensible--Una, four years younger, with large
blue eyes and long and beautiful golden hair.

Their poor mother was, I believe, naturally a lighthearted, sociable,
high-spirited little creature; and her gay and childish nature pined in
the isolation and gloom of her lot. At all events she died young, and
the children were left to the sole care of their melancholy and
embittered father. In process of time the girls grew up, tradition says,
beautiful. The elder was designed for a convent, the younger her father
hoped to mate as nobly as her high blood and splendid beauty seemed to
promise, if only the great game on which he had resolved to stake all
succeeded.



CHAPTER II


The Fairies in the Castle

The Rebellion of '45 came, and Ultor de Lacy was one of the few Irishmen
implicated treasonably in that daring and romantic insurrection. Of
course there were warrants out against him, but he was not to be found.
The young ladies, indeed, remained as heretofore in their father's
lonely house in Clare; but whether he had crossed the water or was still
in Ireland was for some time unknown, even to them. In due course he was
attainted, and his little estate forfeited. It was a miserable
catastrophe--a tremendous and beggarly waking up from a life-long dream
of returning principality.