"Weally!" said the exquisite, with the utmost simplicity. "Fanny is very provoking, Mr. Furlong," said Mrs. Egan, who was obliged to say something with a smile, to avoid the laugh which continued silence would have forced upon her. "Oh, no!" said the dandy, looking tenderly at Fanny; "only vewy agweable--fond of a little wepa'tee." "They call me thatirical here," said Fanny, "only fanthy!" and she cast down her eyes with an exquisite affectation of innocence. "By-the-bye, when does your post awive here--the mail I mean?" said Furlong. "About nine in the morning," said the Squire. "And when does it go out?" "About one in the afternoon." "And how far is the post town fwom your house?" "About eight or nine miles." "Then you can answer your letters by wetu'n of post?" "Oh dear, no!" said the Squire; "the boy takes any letters that may be for the post the following morning, as he goes to the town to look for letters." "But you lose a post by that," said Furlong. "And what matter?" said the Squire. The official's notions of regularity were somewhat startled by the Squire's answer; so he pushed him with a few more questions. In reply to one of the last, the Squire represented that the post-boy was saved going twice a day by the present arrangement. "Ay, but you lose a post, my dear sir," said Furlong, who still clung with pertinacity to the fitness of saving a post. "Don't you see that you might weceive your letter at half-past ten; well, then you'll have a full hour to wite you' answer; that's quite enough time, I should think, for you wetu'ning an answer." "But, my dear sir," said Murtough Murphy, "our grand object in Ireland is _not_ to answer letters." "Oh!--ah!--hum!--indeed!--well, that's odd; how _vewy_ odd you Iwish are!" "Sure, that's what makes us such pleasant fellows," said Murtough. "If we were like the rest of the world, there would be nothing remarkable about us; and who'd care for us?" "Well, Mr. Muffy, you say such queer things--weally." "Ay, and I _do_ queer things sometimes--don't I, Squire?" "There's no denying it, Murphy." "Now, Mr. O'Gwady," said Furlong, "had we not better talk over our election business?" "Oh, hang business to-day!" said Murphy: "let's have some fishing: I'll show you such salmon-fishing as you never saw in your life." "What do _you_ say, Mr. O'Gwady?" said Furlong. "'Faith, I think we might as well amuse ourselves." "But the election is weally of such consequence; I should think it would be a wema'kably close contest, and we have no time to lose; I should think--with submission----" "My dear sir," said Murphy, "we'll beat them hollow: our canvass has been most prosperous; there's only one thing I'm afraid of." "What's that?" said Furlong. "That Egan has money; and I'm afraid he'll bribe high."