"If she means her father's house," said Lady Janet to Linton, "it's about as like a like as--Lord Kilgoff to the Farnese Hercules, or his wife to any other lady in the peerage."

"You remember Kilgoran, my Lord," said the lady in black to the Chief Justice; "does that remind you of it?"

"Very like,--very like, indeed, madam," said the old judge, looking at a rock-work grotto in a fish-pond.

"What's this?" cried another, taking up a great Saxon fortress, with bastions and gate-towers and curtains, as gloomy and sombre as Indian-ink could make it.

"As a residence I think that is far too solemn-looking and sad."

"What did you say it was, sir?" asked the judge.

"The elevation for the new jail at Naas, my Lord," replied Linton, gravely.

"I 'm very glad to hear it. We have been sadly crippled for room there latterly."

"Do you approve of the Panopticon plan, my Lord?" said Mrs. White, who never omitted a question when a hard word could be introduced.

"It is, madam,--you are perfectly correct," said the obsequious old judge,--"very much the same kind of thing as the Pantechnicon."

"Talking of Panopticon, where 's Kilgoff?" whispered Linton to one of the hussars.

"Don't you see him yonder, behind the harp? How that poor woman must be bored by such _espionnage!_"

"If you mean to build a house, sir," said Lady Janet, addressing Cashel, with a tone of authority, "don't, I entreat of you, adopt any of these absurd outrages upon taste and convenience, but have a good square stone edifice."

"Four, or even five stories high," broke in Linton, gravely.

"Four quite enough," resumed she, "with a roomy hall, and all the reception-rooms leading off it. Let your bedrooms--" "Be numerous enough, at all events," said Linton again.

"Of course; and so arranged that you can devote one story to families exclusively."

"Yes; the _garcons_ should have their dens as remote as possible from the quieter regions."

"Have a ma.s.s of small sitting-rooms beside the larger salons. In a country-house there's nothing like letting people form their own little coteries."

"Wouldn't you have a theatre?" asked Mrs. White.

"There might be, if the circ.u.mstances admitted. But with a billiard-room and a ball-room--"

"And a snug crib for smoking," whispered one of the military.

"I don't see any better style of house," said Linton, gravely, "than those great hotels one finds on the Rhine, and in Germany generally.

They have ample accommodation, and are so divided that you can have your own suite of rooms to yourself."

"Mathews used to keep house after that fashion," said Lord Kilgoff, approaching the table. "Every one ordered his own dinner, and eat it either in his own apartment or in the dining-room. You were invited for four days, never more."

"That was a great error; except in that particular, I should recommend the plan to Mr. Roland Cashel's consideration."

"I never heard of it before," said Cashel; "pray enlighten me on the subject."

"A very respectable country gentleman, sir," said Lord Kilgoff, "who had the whim to see his company without paying what he deemed the heaviest penalty,--the fatigue of playing host. He therefore invited his friends to come and do what they pleased,--eat, drink, drive, ride, play,--exactly as they fancied; only never to notice him otherwise than as one of the guests."

"I like his notion prodigiously," cried Cashel; "I should be delighted to imitate him."

"Nothing easier, sir," said my Lord, "with Mr. Linton for your prime minister; the administration is perfectly practicable."

"Might I venture on such a liberty?"

"Too happy to be president of your council," said Linton, gayly.

A very entreating kind of look from Olivia Kennyf.e.c.k here met Cashel's eyes, and he remarked that she left the place beside the table and walked into the other room; he himself, although dying to follow her, had no alternative but to remain and continue the conversation.

"The first point, then," resumed Linton, "is the house. In what state is your present mansion?"

"A ruin, I believe," said Cashel.

"How picturesque!" exclaimed Mrs. Leicester White.

"I fancy not, madam," rejoined Cashel. "I understand it is about the least prepossessing bit of stone and mortar the country can exhibit."

"No matter, let us see it; we 'll improvise something, and get it ready for the Christmas holidays," said Linton. "We have--let us see--we have about two months for our preparation, and, therefore, no time to lose.

We must premise to the honorable company that our accommodation is of the simplest; 'roughing' shall be the order of the day. Ladies are not to look for Lyons silk ottomans in their dressing-rooms, nor shall we promise that our conservatory furnish a fresh bouquet for each fair guest at breakfast."

"Two months are four centuries!" said Mrs. White; "we shall accept of no apologies for any shortcomings, after such an age of time to prepare."

"You can have your fish from Limerick every day," said an old bluff-looking gentleman in a brown wig.

"There 's a capital fellow, called Tom c.o.x, by the way, somewhere down in that country, who used to paint our scenes for the garrison theatricals. Could you make him out, he 'd be so useful," said one of the military.

"By all means get up some hurdle-racing," cried another.

Meanwhile, Roland Cashel approached Olivia Kennyf.e.c.k, who was affecting to seek for some piece of music on the pianoforte.

"Why do you look so sad?" said he, in a low tone, and seeming to a.s.sist her in the search.

"Do I?" said she, with the most graceful look of artless-ness. "I 'm sure I did n't know it."

"There again, what a deep sigh that was; come, pray tell me, if I dare to know, what has grieved you?"

"Oh, nothing, nothing whatever. I 'm sure I never felt in better spirits. Dear me! Mr. Cashel, how terrified I am, there's that dreadful Lady Janet has seen us talking together."

"Well, and what then?"

"Oh, she is so mischievous, and says such horrid, spite-ful things. It was she that said it--"

"Said what,--what did she say?" cried he, eagerly.

"Oh, what have I done?" exclaimed she, covering her face with her hands.

"Not for the world would I have said the words. Oh, Mr. Cashel, you, who are so good and so generous, do not ask me more."