When they arrived at the bridge, they saw the man hanging from part of the bridge, and apparently struggling in the water; but when they attempted to pull him up, they found it was only a stuffed figure which had been pulled into the stream by a real fish, which had seized hold of the bait.

Mrs. Raffarty, vexed by the fisherman’s fall, and by the laughter it occasioned, did not recover herself sufficiently to be happily ridiculous during the remainder of the walk, nor till dinner was announced, when she apologised for ’having changed the collation, at first intended, into a dinner, which she hoped would be found no bad substitute, and which she flattered herself might prevail on my lord and the gentlemen to sleep, as there was no moon.’

The dinner had two great faults—­profusion and pretension.  There was, in fact, ten times more on the table than was necessary; and the entertainment was far above the circumstances of the person by whom it was given; for instance, the dish of fish at the head of the table had been brought across the island from Sligo, and had cost five guineas; as the lady of the house failed not to make known.  But, after all, things were not of a piece; there was a disparity between the entertainment and the attendants; there was no proportion or fitness of things—­a painful endeavour at what could not be attained, and a toiling in vain to conceal and repair deficiencies and blunders.  Had the mistress of the house been quiet; had she, as Mrs. Broadhurst would say, but let things alone, let things take their course, all would have passed off with well-bred people; but she was incessantly apologising, and fussing, and fretting inwardly and outwardly, and directing and calling to her servants—­striving to make a butler who was deaf, a boy who was hare-brained, do the business of five accomplished footmen of parts and figure.  The mistress of the house called for ’plates, clean plates!-hot plates!’

‘But none did come, when she did call for them.’

Mrs. Raffarty called ’Larry!  Larry!  My lord’s plate, there!—­James! bread to Captain Bowles!—­James! port wine to the major!—­James!  James Kenny!  James!’

‘And panting James toiled after her in vain.’

At length one course was fairly got through, and after a torturing half-hour, the second course appeared, and James Kenny was intent upon one thing, and Larry upon another, so that the wine-sauce for the hare was spilt by their collision; but, what was worse, there seemed little chance that the whole of this second course should ever be placed altogether rightly upon the table.  Mrs. Raffarty cleared her throat, and nodded, and pointed, and sighed, and set Larry after Kenny, and Kenny after Larry; for what one did, the other undid; and at last the lady’s anger kindled, and she spoke: 

’Kenny!  James Kenny! set the sea-cale at this corner, and put down the grass cross-corners; and match your macaroni yonder with them puddens, set—­Ogh!  James! the pyramid in the middle, can’t ye?’