“Oh, yes! I know all of them,” said he, with a little gesture of his hand: “that is, they take devilish good care to know _me_.” “Indeed!” exclaimed Jack, in the tone which seemed to ask for some explanation. “You see, here's how it is,” said Cutbill, as he bent over his plate and talked in a tone cautiously subdued: “All those swells--especially that generation yonder--are pretty nigh aground. They have been living for forty or fifty years at something like five times their income; and if it had n't been for this sudden rush of prosperity in England, caused by railroads, mines, quarries, or the like, these fellows would have been swept clean away. He 's watching me now. I 'll go on by-and-by. Have you any good hunting down here, Colonel Bramleigh?” asked he of the host, who sat half hid by a massive centrepiece. “You 'll have to ask my sons what it's like; and I take it they 'll give you a mount too.” “With pleasure, Mr. Cutbill,” cried Augustus. “If we have no frost, we'll show you some sport on Monday next.” “Delighted,--I like hunting of all things.” “And you, my Lord, is it a favorite sport of yours?” asked Temple. “A long life out of England--which has unfortunately been my case--makes a man sadly out of gear in all these things; but I ride, of course,” and he said the last words as though he meant to imply “because I do everything.” “I'll send over to L'Estrange,” said Augustus; “he's sure to know where the meet is for Monday.” “Who is L'Estrange?” asked his Lordship. “Our curate here,” replied Colonel Bramleigh, smiling. “An excellent fellow, and a very agreeable neighbor.” “Our only one, by Jove!” cried Jack. “How gallant to forget Julia!” said Nelly, tartly. “And the fair Julia,--who is she?” asked Lord Culduff. “L'Estrange's sister,” replied Augustus. “And now, my Lord,” chimed in Jack, “you know the whole neighborhood, if we don't throw in a cross-grained old fellow, a half-pay lieutenant of the Buffs.” “Small but select,” said Lord Culduff, quietly. “May I venture to ask you, Colonel Bramleigh, what determined you in your choice of a residence here?” “I suppose I must confess it was mainly a money consideration. The bank held some rather heavy mortgages over this property, which they were somewhat disposed to consider as capable of great improvement, and as I was growing a little wearied of City life, I fancied I 'd come over here and--” “Regenerate Ireland, eh?” “Or, at least, live very economically,” added he, laughing. “I may be permitted to doubt that part of the experiment,” said Lord Culduff, as his eyes ranged over the table, set forth in all the splendor that plate and glass could bestow. “I suspect papa means a relative economy,” said Marion, “something very different from our late life in England.”