strong-growing, black hair, a large, black moustache, and heavy brows,
over-shadowing eyes of precisely the same shade of blunted blue as his
shaven chin.

"He's a credit to his breeding, Major!" said the heavy man, indicating
Larry with a sandwich from which he had taken a bite of the size of
one of his horse's hoofs; "I wish we had a few more lads coming on in
the country like him!"

"What good are they going to do?" responded the Master, reverting to
the pessimistic mood that was daily becoming more frequent with him;
"what chance is there for a gentleman in this damned country? You
might as well have a mill-stone round your neck as an Irish property
these times! What do you suppose will be left to us after the next
'Revision of Rents,' as they call it?"

"Well, deuce a much indeed," returned Doctor Mangan, equably, "but it
mightn't be so bad as that altogether! I have my little girl out for
the first time to-day, Major. I wonder might I ask your man, that's
looking after your young ladies, to have an eye to her, too?"

Doctor Mangan withdrew with the required permission, and with his
daughter at his heels, proceeded through the assembling riders and
carriages, distributing greetings as he went.

Doctor Francis Aloysius Mangan was one of the leading doctors in the
district of which the towns of Cluhir and Riverstown each felt itself
to fill the most important place. Ireland grows doctors and clergymen
with almost equal success and profusion. There is in the national
character a considerable share of the constituents that are valuable