This compliment was addressed to a little, very fat old lady, who came snorting along like a grampus. “Benedetto Dottore!” cried she. “He will have it that I must go up to the stone cross yonder every morning before breakfast, and I know I shall burst a blood-vessel yet in the attempt.” A chair, with a mass of horse-clothing and furs, surmounted by a little yellow wizened face, was next borne by, to which Lord Lackington bowed courteously, saying, “Your Excellency improves at every hour.” His Excellency gave a brief nod and a little faint smile, swallowed a mouthful from a silver flask presented by his servant, and disappeared. “Ah! the fair syren sisters! what a charming vision!” said his Lordship, as two bright-cheeked, laughing-eyed girls bounced upon the terrace in all the high-hearted enjoyment of good health and good spirits. “Molly, for shame!” cried what seemed the elder, a damsel of about nineteen, as the younger, holding out her dress with both hands, performed a kind of minuet curtsey to the Viscount, to which he responded with a bow that might have done credit to Versailles. “Perfectly done--grace and elegance itself. The foot a little--a very little more in advance.” “Just because you want to look at it,” cried she, laughing. “Molly, Molly!” exclaimed the other, rebukingly. “Let him deny it if he can, Lucy,” retorted she. “But here's papa.” And as she spoke, a square-built, short, florid man, fanning his bald head with a straw hat, puffed his way forward. “My Lord, I'm your most obaydient!” said he, with a very unmistakably Irish enunciation. “O'Reilly, I'm delighted to see you. These charming girls of yours have just put me in good humour with the whole creation. What a lovely spot this is; how beautiful!” Though his Lordship's arm and outstretched hand directed attention to the scenery, his eyes never wandered from the pretty features of the laughing girl beside him. [Illustration: 028] “It's like Banthry!” said Mr. O'Reilly--“it's the very ditto of Banthry.” “Indeed!” exclaimed my Lord, still pursuing his scrutiny. “Only Banthry's bigger and wider. Indeed, I may say finer.” “Nothing, in _my_ estimation, can exceed this!” said his Lordship, with a distinctive smile, addressed to the young lady. “I'm glad you think so,” said she, with a merry laugh. And then, with a pirouette, she sprang up the steep steps on the rocky path before her, and disappeared, her sister as quickly following, leaving Mr. O'Reilly alone with his Lordship. “What heaps of money she laid out here,” exclaimed O'Reilly, as he looked at the labyrinth of mad ruins, and rustic bridges, and hanging gardens on every side of him. “Large sums--very large indeed!” said my Lord, whose thoughts were evidently on some other track. “Pure waste--nothing else; the place never could pay. Vines and fig-trees, indeed--I'd rather see a crop of oats.”.