No theme could more readily have put Mr. Scanlan at his ease. He felt, or fancied he felt, himself at that degree of social elevation above the Oughterard people, which enabled him to talk with a species of compassionate jocularity of their little dinners and evening parties. He criticised toilet and manners and cookery, therefore, with much self-complacency,--far more than had he suspected that Mary Martin's amusement was more derived from the pretension of the speaker than the matter which he discussed. “That's what I think you'll find hardest of all, Miss Martin,” said he, at the close of a florid description of the borough customs. “You can have no society here.” “And yet I mean to try,” said she, smiling; “at least, I have gone so far as to ask Mrs. Nelligan to come and dine with me on Monday or Tuesday next.” “Mrs. Nelligan dine at Cro' Martin!” exclaimed he. “If she will be good enough to come so far for so little!” “She 'd go fifty miles on the same errand; and if I know old Dan himself, he 'll be a prouder man that day than when his son gained the gold medal.” “Then I'm sure _I_, at least, am perfectly requited,” said Mary. “But are you certain, Miss, that such people will suit you?” said Scanlan, half timidly. “They live in a very different style, and have other ways than yours. I say nothing against Mrs. Nelligan; indeed, she comes of a very respectable family; but sure she hasn't a thought nor an idea in common with Miss Martin.” “I suspect you are wrong there, Mr. Scanlan. My impression is, that Mrs. Nelligan and I will find many topics to agree upon, and that we shall understand each other perfectly; and if, as you suppose, there may be certain things new and strange to me in _her_ modes of thinking, I 'm equally sure she 'll have to conquer many prejudices with regard to _me_. “I'm afraid you'll be disappointed, miss!” was the sententious reply of Scanlan. “Then there's our vicar!” broke in Mary. “Mr. Leslie will, I hope, take pity on my solitude.” “Indeed, I forgot him entirely. I don't think I ever saw him at Cro' Martin.” “Nor I, either,” said Mary; “but he may concede from a sense of kindness what he would decline to a mere point of etiquette. In a word, Mr. Scanlan,” said she, after a pause, “all the troubles and misfortunes which we have lately gone through--even to the destitution of the old house here--have in a great measure had their origin in the studious ignorance in which we have lived of our neighbors. I don't wish to enter upon political topics, but I am sure that had we known the borough people, and they us,--had we been in the habit of mingling and associating together, however little,--had we interchanged the little civilities that are the charities of social life,--we 'd have paused, either of us, ere we gave pain to the other; we'd at least have made concessions on each side, and so softened down the asperities of party. More than half the enmities of the world are mere misconceptions.”