‘In a dream, perhaps.’ ‘No, no. I _have_ heard it, if I could only remember where and how! I say, landlord, where does his lordship live?’ and he pointed to the portrait. ‘Beyond, at the castle, sir. You can see it from the door without when the weather’s fine.’ ‘That must mean on a very rare occasion!’ said Lockwood gravely. ‘No indeed, sir. It didn’t begin to rain on Tuesday last till after three o’clock.’ ‘Magnificent climate!’ exclaimed Walpole enthusiastically. ‘It is indeed, sir. Glory be to God!’ said the landlord, with an honest gravity that set them both off laughing. ‘How about this club--does it meet often?’ ‘It used, sir, to meet every Thursday evening, and my lord never missed a night, but quite lately he took it in his head not to come out in the evenings. Some say it was the rheumatism, and more says it’s the unsettled state of the country; though, the Lord be praised for it, there wasn’t a man fired at in the neighbourhood since Easter, and _he_ was a peeler.’ ‘One of the constabulary?’ ‘Yes, sir; a dirty, mean chap, that was looking after a poor boy that set fire to Mr. Hagin’s ricks, and that was over a year ago.’ ‘And naturally forgotten by this time?’ ‘By coorse it was forgotten. Ould Mat Hagin got a presentment for the damage out of the grand-jury, and nobody was the worse for it at all.’ ‘And so the club is smashed, eh?’ ‘As good as smashed, sir; for whenever any of them comes now of an evening, he just goes into the bar and takes his glass there.’ He sighed heavily as he said this, and seemed overcome with sadness. ‘I’m trying to remember why the name is so familiar to me. I know I have heard of Lord Kilgobbin before,’ said Walpole. ‘Maybe so,’ said the landlord respectfully. ‘You may have read in books how it was at Kilgobbin Castle King James came to stop after the Boyne; that he held a “coort” there in the big drawing-room--they call it the “throne-room” ever since--and slept two nights at the castle afterwards?’ ‘That’s something to see, Walpole,’ said Lockwood. ‘So it is. How is that to be managed, landlord? Does his lordship permit strangers to visit the castle?’ ‘Nothing easier than that, sir,’ said the host, who gladly embraced a project that should detain his guests at the inn. ‘My lord went through the town this morning on his way to Loughrea fair; but the young ladies is at home; and you’ve only to send over a message, and say you’d like to see the place, and they’ll be proud to show it to you.’ ‘Let us send our cards, with a line in pencil,’ said Walpole, in a whisper to his friend. ‘And there are young ladies there?’ asked Lockwood. ‘Two born beauties; it’s hard to say which is handsomest,’ replied the host, overjoyed at the attraction his neighbourhood possessed. ‘I suppose that will do?’ said Walpole, showing what he had written on his card. ‘Yes, perfectly.’ ‘Despatch this at once. I mean early to-morrow; and let your messenger ask if there be an answer. How far is it off?’