Shane never could long withstand his mother's coaxing, when she condescended to implore. Is it not always thus? Is it not worth while to be haughty, arrogant, ill-tempered--as the case may be--if only for the fuller appreciation of our benignity when we elect to be benign? Shane clung to the dowager's last straw, which with artful artlessness she had held out to him. It would only be for a month or two. It would do Norah all the good in life to miss her beloved for a space; while he was away, she would measure his merits, and fly with rapture to his bosom on his return. It would be rather fun, too, again to visit for a few weeks the haunts he used so to doat upon. But it ill became him as one of the sterner sex to be over-easily persuaded. 'It will be very dull up there, mother,' he objected. 'How civil of you,' the countess said, kissing him, for she saw the point was gained. 'If you are a good boy, I will ask your uncle to let Doreen come too. Her eccentricities will enliven us.' 'You are always talking of Doreen?' complained my lord. 'I can't see why you make so much fuss about her.' 'Then we won't take her,' responded my lady, with prompt and Machiavellian wisdom. 'I care not,' he returned 'Perhaps we had better take her, and I'll teach her to shoot seals.' And so the matter was decided, whilst my lady made up her mind that, once in Donegal, her son should stop there under one pretext or another until all danger from Miss Gillin should be averted. END Of VOL. I. * * * * * BILLING AND SONS, PRINTERS, GUILDFORD, SURREY. _S. & H_.