“Good-night, mother dear!  I’m sure you love me, an’ I know it is because you do that you spake in this way; but I know, too, that you wouldn’t make me unhappy and miserable for the wealth of the world, much less for Hycy Burke’s share of it.  There’s a kiss for you, and good-night!—­there’s another for you, father; God bless you! and good-night, too.  Come, Hanna darling, come!”

In this state matters rested for some time.  Bryan M’Mahon, however, soon got an opportunity of disclosing his intentions to Kathleen, if that can be called disclosing, which was tolerably well known for a considerable time previous to the disclosure.  Between them it was arranged that he and his father should make a formal proposal of marriage to her parents, as the best means of bringing the matter to a speedy issue.  Before this was done, however, Gerald, at the instigation of his wife, contrived once more to introduce the subject as if by accident, in a conversation with Jemmy Burke, who repeated his anxiety for the match as the best way of settling down his son, and added, that he would lay the matter before Hycy himself, with a wish that a union should take place between them.  This interview with old Burke proved a stumbling-block in the way of M’Mahon.  At length, after a formal proposal on the behalf of Bryan, and many interviews with reference to it, something like a compromise was effected.  Kathleen consented to accept the latter in marriage, but firmly and resolutely refused to hear Burke’s name as a lover or suitor mentioned.  Her parents, however, hoping that their influence over her might ultimately prevail, requested that she would not engage herself to any one for two years, at the expiration of which period, if no change in her sentiments should take place, she was to be at liberty to marry M’Mahon.  For the remainder of the summer and autumn, and up until November, the period at which our narrative has now arrived, or, in other words, when Bryan M’Mahon met Nanny Peety, matters had rested precisely in the same position.  This unexpected interview with the mendicant’s daughter, joined to the hints he had already received, once more caused M’Mahon to feel considerably perplexed with regard to Hycy Burke.  The coincidence was very remarkable, and the identity of the information, however limited, appeared to him to deserve all the consideration which he could bestow upon it, but above all things he resolved, if possible, to extract the secret out of Nanny Peety.

One cause of Hycy Burke’s extravagance was a hospitable habit of dining and giving dinners in the head inn of Ballymacan.  To ask any of his associates to his father’s house was only to expose the ignorance of his parents, and this his pride would not suffer him to do.  As a matter of course he gave all his dinners, unless upon rare occasions, in Jack Shepherd’s excellent inn; but as young Clinton and he were on terms of the most confidential intimacy, he had asked him to dine on the day in question at his father’s.