In the usual course of things, these men are not often to be found in the society of gentry; except, perhaps, among those gentlemen or noblemen who like to see hangers-on at their tables; or who find it for their convenience to have underling magistrates, to protect their favourites, or to propose and carry jobs for them on grand juries.  At election times, however, these persons rise into sudden importance with all who have views upon the county.  Lady Dashfort hinted to Lord Killpatrick, that her private letters from England spoke of an approaching dissolution of Parliament; she knew that, upon this hint, a round of invitations would be sent to the squireens; and she was morally certain that they would be more disagreeable to Lord Colambre, and give him a worse idea of the country, than any other people who could be produced.  Day after day some of these personages made their appearance; and Lady Dashfort took care to draw them out upon the subjects on which she knew that they would show the most self-sufficient ignorance, and the most illiberal spirit.  This succeeded beyond her most sanguine expectations.  ’Lord Colambre! how I pity you, for being compelled to these permanent sittings after dinner!’ said Lady Isabel to him one night, when he came late to the ladies from the dining-room.  ’Lord Killpatrick insisted upon my staying to help him to push about that never-ending, still-beginning electioneering bottle,’ said Lord Colambre.  ’Oh! if that were all; if these gentlemen would only drink;—­but their conversation!  I don’t wonder my mother dreads returning to Clonbrony Castle, if my father must have such company as this.  But, surely, it cannot be necessary.

‘Oh, indispensable!  Positively indispensable!’ cried Lady Dashfort; ’no living in Ireland without it.  You know, in every country in the world, you must live with the people of the country, or be torn to pieces; for my part, I should prefer being torn to pieces.’

Lady Dashfort and Lady Isabel knew how to take advantage of the contrast between their own conversation, and that of the persons by whom Lord Colambre was so justly disgusted; they happily relieved his fatigue with wit, satire, poetry, and sentiment; so that he every day became more exclusively fond of their company; for Lady Killpatrick and the Miss Killpatricks were mere commonplace people.  In the mornings, he rode or walked with Lady Dashfort and Lady Isabel:  Lady Dashfort, by way of fulfilling her promise of showing him the people, used frequently to take him into the cabins, and talk to their inhabitants.  Lord and Lady Killpatrick, who had lived always for the fashionable world, had taken little pains to improve the condition of their tenants; the few attempts they had made were injudicious.  They had built ornamented, picturesque cottages, within view of their demesne; and favourite followers of the family, people with half a century’s habit of indolence and dirt, were promoted to these fine dwellings.  The