“It is no stain either upon myself or our family for me to have set out to do some work in the world,” said Standish proudly, for he felt capable of maintaining the dignity of labour. “I told you that I would not pass my life in the idleness of Innishdermot. I-----------” “It's too much for me, Standish O'Dermot Macnamara--to hear you talk lightly of Innishdermot is too much for the blood of the representative of the ancient race. Don't, my boy, don't.” “I don't talk lightly of it; when you told me it was gone from us I felt it as deeply as any one could feel it.” “It's one more wrong added to the grievances of our thrampled counthry,” cried the hereditary monarch of the islands with fervour. “And yet you have never sworn an oath to be revenged. You even tell me that you mean to be in the pay of the nation that has done your family this wrong--that has thrampled The Macnamara into the dust. This is the bitterest stroke of all.” “I have told you all,” said Standish. “Colonel Gerald was kinder to me than words could express. He is going to England in two months, but only to remain a week, and then he will leave for the Castaway Islands. He has already written to have my appointment as private secretary confirmed, and I shall go at once to have everything ready for his arrival. It's not much I can do, God knows, but what I can do I will for him. I'll work my best.” “Oh, this is bitter--bitter--to hear a Macnamara talk of work; and just now, too, when the money has come to us.” “I don't want the money,” said Standish indignantly. “Ye're right, my son, so far. What signifies fifteen thousand pounds when the feelings of an ancient family are outraged?” “But I can't understand how those men had power to take the land, if you did not wish to give it to them, for their railway and their hotel.” “It's more of the oppression, my son--more of the thrampling of our counthry into the dust. I rejected their offers with scorn at first; but I found out that they could get power from the oppressors of our counthry to buy every foot of the ground at the price put on it by a man they call an arbithrator--so between thraitors and arbithrators I knew I couldn't hold out. With tears in my eyes I signed the papers, and now all the land from the mouth of Suangorm to Innishdermot is in the hands of the English company--all but the castle--thank God they couldn't wrest that from me. If you'd only been by me, Standish, I would have held out against them all; but think of the desolate old man sitting amongst the ruins of his home and the tyrants with the gold--I could do nothing.” “And then you came out here. Well, father, I'm glad to see you, and Colonel Gerald will be so too, and--Daireen.” “Aye,” said The Macnamara. “Daireen is here too. And have you been talking to the lovely daughter of the Geralds, my boy? Have you been confessing all you confessed to me, on that bright day at Innishdermot? Have you----”