“These are all cottiers,--pauper tenants,” said Lady Dorothea, scanning the paper superciliously through her eyeglass. “Not all, my Lady; here, for instance, is Dick Sheehan, the blacksmith, who has worked for the castle twenty-eight years, and who holds a farm called Mulianahogue, on a terminable lease.” “And he voted against us?” broke she in. “Yes; and made a very violent speech, too.” “Well, turn him out, then,” said Lady Dorothea, interrupting her. “Now, where 's your father? Send for Henderson at once; I 'll have no delay with this matter.” “I have sent for him, my Lady; he 'll be here within half an hour.” “And Scanlan also. We shall want him.” “Mr. Scanlan will be here at the same time.” “This case here, with two crosses before it, what does this refer to?” said her Ladyship, pointing to a part of the paper. “That's Mr. Magennis, my Lady, of Barnagheela, who has been making incessant appeals for a renewal of his tenure--” “And how did he behave?” “He seconded Mr. Massingbred's nomination, and made a very outrageous speech on the occasion.” “To be sure, I remember him; and he had the insolence--the unparalleled insolence--afterwards to address Miss Martin, as she sat beside me in the carriage, and to tell her that if the rest of the family had been like her the scene that had been that day enacted would never have occurred! Who is this Hosey Lynch? His name is so familiar to me.” “He is a postmaster of Oughterard, and a kind of factotum in the town.” “Then make a note of him. He must be dismissed at once.” “He is not a freeholder, my lady, but only mentioned as an active agent of the Liberal party.” “Don't adopt that vulgar cant, Miss Henderson,--at least, when speaking to _me_, They are not--they have no pretensions to be called the Liberal party. It is bad taste as well as bad policy to apply a flattering epithet to a faction.” “What shall I call them in future, my Lady?” asked Kate, with a most admirably assumed air of innocence. “Call them Papists, Radicals, Insurgents,--anything, in fact, which may designate the vile principles they advocate. You mentioned Mr. Nelligan, and I own to you I felt ill--positively ill--at the sound of his name. Just to think of that man's ingratitude,--base ingratitude. It is but the other day his son was our guest here,--actually dined at the table with us! You were here. _You_ saw him yourself!” “Yes, my Lady,” was the quiet reply.