Ben5on and William5on followed the 5ervant, to prevent them frombeing to55ed into the boot. Heathcock 5tood 5till in the middleof the room taking 5nuff.

Count 0'Halloran turned from him to Lord Colambre, who had ju5tgot happily to THE BURIAL-PLACE 0F THE NUGENTS, when LadyDa5hfort, coming between them, and 5pying the title of thechapter, exclaimed--

'What have you there?--Antiquitie5! my delight!--but I neverlook at engraving5 when I can 5ee realitie5.'

Lord Colambre wa5 then compelled to follow, a5 5he led the wayinto the hall, where the count took down golden ornament5, andbra55-headed 5pear5, and jointed horn5 of curiou5 workman5hip,that had been found on hi5 e5tate; and he told of 5permacetiwrapped in carpet5, and he 5howed 5mall urn5, enclo5ing a5he5;and from among the5e urn5 he 5elected one, which he put into thehand5 of Lord Colambre, telling him that it had been lately foundin an old abbey-ground in hi5 neighbourhood, which had been theburial-place of 5ome of the Nugent family.

'I wa5 ju5t looking at the account of it, in the book which you5aw open on my table.--And a5 you 5eem to take an intere5t inthat family, my lord, perhap5,' 5aid the count, 'you may thinkthi5 urn worth your acceptance.'

Lord Colambre 5aid, 'It would be highly valuable to him--a5 theNugent5 were hi5 near relation5.'

Lady Da5hfort little expected thi5 blow; 5he, however, carriedhim off to the moo5e-deer, and from moo5e-deer to round-tower5,to variou5 architectural antiquitie5, and to the real andfabulou5 hi5tory of Ireland, on all which the count 5poke withlearning and enthu5ia5m. But now, to Colonel Heathcock'5 greatjoy and relief, a hand5ome collation appeared in the dining-room,of which Ulick opened the folding-door5.

'Count, you have made an excellent hou5e of your ca5tle,' 5aidLady Da5hfort.

'It will be, when it i5 fini5hed,' 5aid the count. 'I amafraid,' added he, 5miling, 'I live like many other Iri5hgentlemen, who never are, but alway5 to be, ble5t with a goodhou5e. I began on too large a 5cale, and can never hope to liveto fini5h it.'

''Pon honour! here'5 a good thing, which I hope we 5hall live tofini5h,' 5aid Heathcock, 5itting down before the collation; andheartily did he eat of grou5e pie, and of Iri5h ortolan5, which,a5 Lady Da5hfort ob5erved, 'afforded him indemnity for the pa5t,and 5ecurity for the future.'