“I don't see how this can be. Your friends would not approve,--your family, I mean, Miss Martin,--would, very naturally, resent the thought of such an intimacy! They look upon _me_ as an enemy,--an open and declared enemy,--and so I am, where politics is concerned; but--” He hesitated, and after a struggle went on: “No matter, it _is_ war between us, and must be till one crushes the other. What I mean is this, young lady: that to encourage such acquaintanceship as you speak of would look like an undue condescension on _your_ part, or something even worse on _ours_.” “I 'll not listen to such subtleties!” cried Mary, hastily. “Neither you nor I, my dear Mrs. Nelligan, care for party triumphs or defeats. There are a thousand themes wherein our hearts can feel alike; and these we 'll discuss together. We're of the same country; have passed our lives amidst the same scenes, the same events, and the same people, and it will be hard if we cannot as easily discover topics for mutual esteem, as subjects of difference and disagreement.” “But will it not be hinted, Miss Martin, that we took the opportunity of your solitude here to impose an acquaintanceship which had been impossible under other circumstances?” “If you are too proud, sir, to know me,--lest an ungenerous sneer should damage your self-esteem--” “Indeed, indeed we're not,” broke in Mrs. Nelligan. “You don't know Dan at all. He would n't exchange the honor of sitting there, opposite you, to be High Sheriff.” A servant fortunately presented himself at this awkward moment with a whispered message for Miss Martin; to which she replied aloud,-- “Of course. Tell Mr. Scanlan it is my wish,--_my_ orders,” added she, more firmly. “The house is open to any one who desires to see it. And now, before I go, Mr. Nelligan, tell me that I have convinced you,--tell me that my reasons have prevailed, and that you acknowledge we ought to be friends.” And as she said the last words, she held out her hand to him with a grace so perfect, and an air of such winning fascination, that old Nelligan could only stammer out,-- “It shall be how you please. I never bargained to dispute against such odds as this. We are, indeed, your friends; dispose of us how you like.” And, so saying, he conducted her to the little carriage, and, assisting her to her seat, took his leave with all the respect he could have shown a queen. “It's more than a prejudice, after all,” muttered he, as he looked after her as she drove away. “There's something deeper and stronger in it than that, or else a few words spoken by a young girl could n't so suddenly rout all the sentiments of a lifetime! Ay, ay,” added he, still to himself, “we may pull them down; we may humble them; but we 'll never fill their places!” “And we 're to see the house, it seems!” exclaimed Mrs. Nelligan, gathering her shawl around her.