INTERFERENCE. A Novel. BY B. M. CROKER, AUTHOR OF “PROPER PRIDE,” “PRETTY MISS NEVILLE,” “A BIRD OF PASSAGE,” “DIANA BARRINGTON,” “TWO MASTERS,” &c. _IN THREE VOLUMES._ VOL. I. London: F. V. WHITE & CO., 31, SOUTHAMPTON STREET, STRAND, W.C. 1891. PRINTED BY KELLY & CO., MIDDLE MILL, KINGSTON-ON-THAMES; AND GATE STREET, LINCOLN’S INN FIELDS, W.C. CONTENTS. CHAP. PAGE I.--BALLINGOOLE 1 II.--GOSSIP--(WITHOUT TEA) 19 III.--THE MALONES OF BRIDGETSTOWN 39 IV.--MRS. MALONE OPENS HER MOUTH 68 V.--FOXY JOE 93 VI.--DANGEROUS 119 VII.--ONLY JONES 138 VIII.--MISS DOPPING TO THE RESCUE 157 IX.--CLANCY’S COLT 177 X.--BETTY MAKES TWO CONQUESTS 200 INTERFERENCE. CHAPTER I. BALLINGOOLE. “So sleeps the pride of other days.” The town of Ballingoole has always awakened a certain amount of respectful surprise in the minds of strangers; it is so amazingly unlike its name! According to tourists who wish to pay it an extravagant compliment, it actually recalls a fine old English village, and, indeed, in its palmy days, Ballingoole would not have considered itself at all flattered by the comparison. Fifty years ago it was the stronghold of one of the most rigidly exclusive circles in the south of Ireland. The wide hilly street was lined by noble and imposing residences, that looked as if they had quitted country parks and pleasure grounds, and flocked together for company; liberally planned gardens--celebrated for fruit and roses--sloped away from French windows at the rear of these mansions, to the very brink of a slow, brown canal--once glorified by fly boats, galloping teams and gay passengers, but now abandoned to lethargic barges, bearing freights of turf and manure. In the good old days the town was peopled by retired officers (naval and military), wealthy widows, and well-born spinsters, and actually numbered a baronet, and the brother of a viscount among its tenants.