Mr Sharpe was announced, and a slight, small, dapper little personage made his appearance. A physiognomist of the very least discernment must at once have pronounced him to be a satirical, irritable, genuine lover of mischief, for mischief's sake--mirthful after his own fashion, and as merry as a grig upon a gridiron, when every face about him should be drawn to a half yard in length by some unforeseen annoyance, or petty disaster. He rubbed his hands, congratulating the ladies on the fineness of the day. "Heavenly morning--fine road--Bay of Dublin will be seen to such advantage--sea so smooth--coast of Wicklow splendid--Killiney will look so bold"--talk--talk--talk; he stunned every person with his extraordinary volubility. Mr O'Brien's servant entered. "Please, ma'am, Mrs Molloy is coming." Scarcely was the message delivered when the lady made her appearance. "Oh, my dear Mrs Harvey, I hope I hav'nt kept you waiting long. I totally forgot that this was the day appointed for your party, until Sparks reminded me of it by calling me up." "Make no apologies, my dear madam; we havn't waited at all. Mr Sharpe has but just arrived, and our number is now complete. Have you every thing packed?" "Packed! Why, do you think we'll have rain?--had I better get my cloak and umbrella? But, sure, I can go in your carriage, and as I shan't be exposed on an outside car, I won't want them." "My dear Mrs Molloy, it is the beef I allude to. Is it packed?" "The beef! What beef?" "Why, dear me, you surely havn't forgotten that a six-rib piece of roast beef was to be supplied by you?" "I--declare--I--never--once--thought--of it. Well, now, that's very odd." Mr Sharpe's countenance fell. The discovery had been made too timely to please him. "What's best to be done now? I can purchase beef somewhere as we go along, and we'll get it dressed at Howth, in some cabin or another." "Phwee--oo," whistled Mr Robert O'Gorman, "what the deuce would we do with ourselves for five or six hours, at the least, that such a piece would take to roast, without any thing to keep its back warm in an open cabin? I'll tell you what, ma'am: give me the money, and I'll get as much cold roast beef as you like, from Mulholland." "Who is Mulholland?" "Oh, 'tis no matter; I'll get the meat, if you want it." "Very well, Mr O'Gorman, do so, and you'll oblige me; here is a guinea. But why not tell who Mulholland is?" Mr O'Gorman bolted, without making any reply. Now, the fact of the matter was simply this, that Mulholland was a sort of second-hand caterer, who purchased the meat that was sent unused from the dining-hall of Trinity College, and supplied it again to such students as felt too economically inclined to attend commons, and thus save money from the parental allowances, for other, and better (?) uses. To this class did Mr O'Gorman sometimes belong. In a very short time he re-appeared. "You were not long, Mr O'Gorman; did you succeed in getting a suitable piece?"