He felt considerably mortified at this reflection, and the more especially, as he had been frequently taunted with it and laughed at for it by the country girls, whenever he entered into any bantering conversation.  A thought now struck him by which he could, as he imagined, execute a very signal revenge upon M’Mahon through Kathleen, and perhaps, ultimately upon Kathleen herself, if he should succeed with Miss Clinton; for he did not at all forgive Kathleen the two public instances of contempt with which she had treated him.  There was still, however, another consideration.  His father had threatened to bring home his brother Edward, then destined for the church, and altogether to change his intentions in that respect.  Indeed, from the dry and caustic manner of the old man towards him of late, he began to entertain apprehensions upon the subject.  Taking therefore all these circumstances into consideration, he resolved in any event to temporize a little, and allow the father to suppose that he might be prevailed upon to marry Kathleen Cavanagh.

In the course of that evening, after dinner, while his father and he were together and his mother not present, he introduced the subject himself.

“I think, Mr. Burke, if I remember correctly, you proposed something like a matrimonial union between the unrivalled Katsey Cavanagh and the accomplished Hycy.”

“I did, God forgive me.”

“I have been thinking over that subject since.”

“Have you, indeed,” said his father; “an’ am I to make Ned a priest or a farmer?” he asked, dryly.

“The church, I think, Mr. Burke, is, or ought to be, his destination.”

“So, after all, you prefer to have my money and my property, along wid a good wife, to your brother Ned—­Neddy I ought to call him, out of compliment to you—­ha! ha! ha!”

“Proceed, Mr. Burke, you are pleased to be facetious.”

“To your brother Ned—­Neddy—­having them, and maybe along wid them the same, wife too?”

“No, not exactly; but out of respect to your wishes.

“What’s that?” said the old man, staring at him with a kind of comic gravity—­“out of respect to my wishes!”

“That’s what I’ve said,” replied the son.  “Proceed.”

His father looked at’ him again, and replied, “Proceed yourself—–­it was you introduced the subject.  I’m now jack-indifferent about it.”

“All I have to say,” continued Hycy, “is that I withdraw my ultimate refusal, Mr. Burke.  I shall entertain the question, as they say; and it is not improbable but that I may dignify the fair Katsey with the honorable title of Mrs. Burke.”

“I wish you had spoken a little sooner, then,” replied his father, “bekaise it so happens that Gerald Cavanagh an’ I have the match between her and your brother Ned as good as made.”

“My brother Ned!  Why, in the name of; all that’s incredible, how could that be encompassed?”