“Go on, sir,” said she, with a forced composure which deceived old Hickman completely, and made him suppose that his negotiation was proceeding favorably. “I 'm sure, my Lady, it 's little satisfaction all this grandeur would give me. I 'd rather be twenty years younger, and in the back parlor of my old shop at Loughrea than the first peer in the kingdom.” “Ambition is not your failing, then, sir,” said she, with a glance which, to one more quick-sighted, would have conveyed the full measure of her scorn. “That it is n't, my Lady; but they insist upon it.” “And is the Peerage to be enriched by the enrolment of your name among its members? I thought, sir, it was your son.” “Bob--Mr. Hickman, I mean--suggests that I should be the first lord in the family, my Lady, because then Beecham's title won't seem so new when it comes to him. 'T is the only use they can make of me now--ay!” and the word was accented with a venomous sharpness that told the secret anger he had himself awakened by his remark. “The Knight of Gwynne,” said Lady Eleanor, proudly, “has often regretted to me the few opportunities he had embraced through life of serving his country; I have no doubt, sir, when he hears your proposal, that he will rejoice at this occasion of making an _amende_. I will write to him by this post. Is there anything more you wish to add, Mr. Hickman?” said she, as, having risen from her chair, she perceived that the old man remained seated. “Yes, indeed, my Lady, there is, and I don't think I 'd have the heart for it, if it was n't your Ladyship's kindness about the other business; and even now, maybe, it would take you by surprise.” “You can scarcely do that, sir, after what I have just listened to,” said she, with a smile. “Well, there 's no use in going round about the bush, and this is what I mean. We thought there might be a difficulty, perhaps, about the vote; that the Knight might have promised his friends, or said something or other how he 'd go, and would n't be able to get out of it so easily, so we saw another way of serving his views about the money. You see, my Lady, we considered it all well amongst us.” “We should feel deeply grateful, sir, to know how far this family has occupied your kind solicitude. But proceed.” “If the Knight does n't like to vote with the Government, of course there is no use in Bob doing it; so he 'll be a Patriot, my Lady,--and why not? Ha! ha! ha! they 'll be breaking the windows all over Dublin, and he may as well save the glass!--ay!” “Forgive me, sir, if I cannot see how this has any reference to my family.” “I'm coming to it--coming fast, my Lady. We were thinking then how we could help the Knight, and do a good turn to ourselves; and the way we hit upon was this: to reduce the interest on the whole debt to five per cent, make a settlement of half the amount on Miss Darcy, and then, if the young lady had no objection to my grandson, Beecham--”