his frieze coat swung over one shoulder, stepped aside. A bare-legged
woman, surrounded by her half-naked children, leaving the potato she was
peeling in front of her door, gazed, like her husband, after the rolling
vision of elegance that went by her, and her obtuse brain probably
summed up the implacable decrees of Destiny in the phrase:

'Shure there misht be a gathering at the big house this evening.'

'But tell me, mamma,' said Olive, after a long silence, 'how much
champagne ought I to drink at dinner? You know, it is a long time since
I have tasted it. Indeed, I don't remember that I ever did taste it.'

Mrs. Barton laughed softly:

'Well, my dear, I don't think that two glasses could do you any harm;
but I would not advise you to drink any more.'

'And what shall I say to the man who takes me down to dinner? Shall I
have to begin the conversation, or will he?'

'He will be sure to say something; you need not trouble yourself about
that. I think we shall meet some nice men to-night. Captain Hibbert will
be there. He is very handsome and well-connected. I hope he will take
you down. Then there will be the Honourable Mr. Burke. He is a nice
little man, but there's not much in him, and he hasn't a penny. His
brother is Lord Kilcarney, a confirmed bachelor. Then there will be Mr.
Adair; he is very well off. He has at least four thousand a year in the
country; but it would seem that he doesn't care for women. He is very
clever; he writes pamphlets. He used to sympathize with the Land League,
but the outrages went against his conscience. You never know what he