on his couch—­Mars convalescent:  a more dreadful attraction to the ladies than in his crimson plumes!  If the fellow doesn’t let slip his opportunity! with his points of honour and being an Irish Bayard.  Why Bayard in the nineteenth century’s a Bedlamite, Irish or no.  So I tell him.  There he is; you’ll see him, Kathleen:  and one of them as big an heiress as any in England.  Philip’s no fool, you’ll find.’

‘Then he’s coming all right, is he?’ said Kathleen.

’He ’s a soldier, and a good one, but he ’s nothing more, and as for patriotic inflammation, doesn’t know the sensation.’

’Oh! but he’s coming round, and you’ll go and stroke down mother with that,’ Kathleen cried.  ’Her heart’s been heavy, with Patrick wandering and Philip on his back.  I’ll soon be dressed for breakfast.’

Away she went.

’She’s got an appetite, and looks like a strapped bit of steel after the night’s tumbling,’ said the captain, seeing her trip aloft.  ’I’m young as that too, or not far off it.  Stay, I’ll order breakfast for four in a quiet corner where we can converse—­which, by the way, won’t be possible in the presence of that gaping oyster of a fellow, who looks as if he were waiting the return of the tide.’

Father Boyle interposed his hand.

‘Not for . . .’ he tried to add ‘four.’  The attempt at a formation of the word produced a cavernous yawn a volume of the distressful deep to the beholder.

‘Of course,’ Captain Con assented.  He proposed bed and a sedative therein, declaring that his experience overnight could pronounce it good, and that it should be hot.  So he led his tired old friend to the bedroom, asked dozens of questions, flurried a withdrawal of them, suggested the answers, talked of his Rubicon, praised his wife, delivered a moan on her behalf, and after assisting to half disrobe the scarce animate figure, which lent itself like an artist’s lay-model to the operation, departed on his mission of the sedative.

At the breakfast for three he was able to tell Kathleen that the worthy Father was warm, and on his way to complete restoration.

‘Full fathom five the Father lies, in the ocean of sleep, by this time,’ said Con.  ’And ’tis a curious fact that every man in that condition seems enviable to men on their legs.  And similarly with death; we’d rather not, because of a qualm, but the picture of the finish of the leap across is a taking one.  These chops are done as if Nature had mellowed their juiciness.’

‘They are so nice,’ Kathleen said.

‘You deserve them, if ever girl in this world!’

‘I sat on deck all night, and Mr. Colesworth would keep me company.’

’He could hardly do less, having the chance.  But that notwithstanding, I’m under an obligation to your cavalier.  And how did you find Ireland, sir?  You’ve made acquaintance with my cousin, young Mr. Patrick O’Donnell, I rejoice to hear.’