“O, that’s the woman they say is unlucky,” observed his mistress—­“unlucky to meet, I mean; I have often heard of her; indeed, it may be so, for I believe there are such persons; we shall speak to her, however.  My good woman,” she said, addressing Pugshy, “allow me to ask, have you been at Mr. Goodwin’s?”

Now Pugshy had all the legitimate characteristics of an “unlucky” woman; red-haired, had a game eye—­that is to say, she squinted with one of them; Pugshy wore a caubeen hat, like a man; had on neither shoe nor stocking; her huge, brawny arms, uncovered almost to the shoulders, were brown with freckles, as was her face; so that, altogether, she would have made a bad substitute either for the Medicean Venus or the Apollo Belvidere.

“My good woman, allow me to ask if you have been at Mr. Goodwin’s.”

Pugshy, who knew her well, stood for a moment, and closing the eye with which she did not squint, kept the game one fixed upon her very steadily for half a minute, and as she wore the caubeen rather rakishly on one side of her head, her whole figure and expression were something between the frightful and the ludicrous.

“Was I at Misther Goodwin’s, is it?  Lord love you, ma’am, (and ye need it, sotto voce), an’ maybe you’d give us a thrifle for the male’s mate; it’s hard times wid us this weader.”

“I have no change; I never bring change out with me.”

“You’re goin’ to Mr. Goodwin’s, ma’am?”

“Yes; are he and Mrs. Goodwin at home, can you tell me?”

“They are, ma’am, but you may as well go back again; you’ll have no luck this day.”

“Why so?”

“Why, bekaise you won’t; didn’t you meet me?  Who ever has luck that meets me?  Nobody ought to know that betther than yourself, for, by all accounts, you’re tarred wid the same stick.”

“Foolish woman,” replied Mrs. Lindsay, “how is it in your power to prevent me?”

“No matther,” replied the woman; “go an; but mark my words, you’ll have your journey for nuttin’, whatever it is.  Indeed, if I turned back three steps wid you it might be otherwise, but you refused to cross my hand, so you must take your luck,” and with a frightful glance from the eye aforesaid, she passed on.

As she drove up to Mr. Goodwin’s residence she was met on the steps of the hall-door by that kind-hearted gentleman and his wife, and received with a feeling of gratification which the good people could not disguise.

“I suppose,” said Mrs. Lindsay, after they had got seated in the drawing-room, “that you are surprised to see me here?”

“We are delighted, say, Mrs. Lindsay,” replied Mr. Goodwin—­“delighted.  Why should ill-will come between neighbors and friends without any just cause on either side?  That property—­”

“O, don’t talk about that,” replied Mrs. Lindsay; “I didn’t come to speak about it; let everything connected with it be forgotten; and as proof that I wish it should be so, I came here to-day to renew the intimacy that should subsist between us.”