not very encouraging answer as to their good-natured intentions towards
his drawing-room, and again left them alone. "Well; there's nothing for
it but to send the parson; I don't think he'll make a fool of himself,
but then I know he'll look so shabby. However, here goes," and he
mounted his nag, and rode off to Ballindine glebe.

The glebe-house was about a couple of miles from Kelly's Court, and it
was about half-past four when Lord Ballindine got there. He knocked at
the door, which was wide open, though it was yet only the last day of
March, and was told by a remarkably slatternly maid-servant, that her
master was "jist afther dinner;" that he was stepped out, but was about
the place, and could be "fetched in at oncet;"--and would his honour
walk in? And so Lord Ballindine was shown into the rectory drawing-room
on one side of the passage (alias hall), while the attendant of all
work went to announce his arrival in the rectory dining-room on the
other side. Here Mrs Armstrong was sitting among her numerous progeny,
securing the _débris_ of the dinner from their rapacious paws, and
endeavouring to make two very unruly boys consume the portions of fat
which had been supplied to them with, as they loudly declared, an
unfairly insufficient quantum of lean. As the girl was good-natured
enough to leave both doors wide open, Frank had the full advantage of
the conversation.

"Now, Greg," said the mother, "if you leave your meat that way I'll
have it put by for you, and you shall have nothing but potatoes till
it's ate."

"Why, mother, it's nothing but tallow; look here; you gave me all the
outside part."