’"And I’m mistaken if you’re not the master of it,” he goes on, taking the measure of me all over,’ continued Ulick, putting on his drollest brogue.  ’You see he had too much manners to say that such a personable young gentleman, speaking such correct English, could be no other than an Irishman, so I made my bow, and said the car and I were both from County Galway, and we were straight as good friends as if we’d hunted together at Ballymakilty.  To be sure, he was a little taken aback when he found I was one of the Protestant branch, of the O’Mores, but a countryman is a countryman in a barbarous land, and he asked me to call upon him, and offered to do me any service in his power.’

‘I am sure he would.  He is the kindest old gentleman I know,’ exclaimed Genevieve.  ’He always used to bring me barleysugar-drops when I was a little girl, and it was he who found out our poor old Biddy in distress at Hadminster, and sent her to live with us.’

’Indeed!  Then I owe him another debt of gratitude—­in fact, he told me that one of his flock, meaning Biddy, had spoken to him honourably of me.  “Well,” said I, “the greatest service you could do me, sir, would be to introduce me to Mademoiselle Belmarche; I have a young lady’s commission for her.”  “From my little Genevieve,” he said, “the darling that she is.  Did you leave the child well?” And so when I said it was a present for her saint’s day, and that your heart was set on it—­’

‘But, Mr. O’More, I never did set my heart on your seeing her.’

’Well, well, you would have done it if you’d known there had been any chance of it, besides, your heart was set on her getting the work, and how could I make sure of that unless I gave it into her own hand?  I wouldn’t have put it into Mr. O’Hara’s snuffy pocket to hinder myself from being bankrupt’

‘Then he took you in?’

’So he did, like an honest Irishman as he was.  He rang at the bell and spoke to the portress, and had me into the parlour and sent up for the lady; and I have seldom spent a pleasanter hall-hour.  Mademoiselle Belmarche bade me tell you that she would write fuller thanks to you another day, and that her eyes would thank you every night.’

‘Was her cold gone?  Did she seem well, the dear aunt?’

Genevieve was really grateful, and had many questions to ask about her aunt, which met with detailed answers.

‘By-the-by,’ said Ulick,’ I met Mr. Hope in the street as I was coming away, I offered him a lift, but he said he was not coming home till late.  I wonder what he is doing.’

Albinia and Sophy exchanged glances, and had almost said, ’Poor Mr. Hope!’ It was very hard that the good fortune and mere good nature of an indifferent person should push him where the quiet curate so much wished to be.  Albinia would have liked to have had either a little impudence or a little tact to enable her to give a hint to Ulick to be less officious.