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"Miss Arethusa Gore and Miss Southwell," continued Miss O'Reilly, "used to be called the rose and the hollyhock, till Miss Gore, in a quarrel with her maid, sent her from top to bottom of the stairs, from which period she has obtained, by universal suffrage, the appellation of the Knock-me-down Beauty."

"The son, Mr. Arthur Gore," said captain Aimworth, "married an odd sort of person, did he not?"

"Yes," replied Mrs. Adair, who had herself vainly tried for the heir-apparent of Mount Amaranth. "That tall, foolish young man married, about three years ago, a young woman as tall and as foolish. Gawky and Mawkin they were named, when they first appeared in public together. Mrs. Arthur Gore was a dependant of some sort or other-quite an unpresentable person but for her musical talents

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"

"Of which her husband understands about as much," interrupted sir Charles,

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"as lady Louisa's gold fishes.

When madame begins to play or sing, monsieur composes himself to sleep, which circumstance has latterly obtained for the somniferous husband, and his tuneful spouse, the more appropriate surnames of Jingle and Noddy."

"Mr. Pendennis," said lady Louisa, "I hope, in your sketches of character, you will not omit the commendable impartiality with which we point out to the attention of the inquiring stranger, any little defects we may happen to perceive in our dear and particular friends."

The party were now arrived within the neighbourhood of the Falls. The barge was moored to a little wooded island, that commanded the finest view of this trulystriking object. Beneath the shade of some fine old trees our gay travellers spread their rural repast. Montfort called Miss Southwell's attention to the wild beauties that burst upon her sight. The impetuous waves of the Shannon dashed,

in tumultuous conflict, over the opposing rocks; then swept along, glittering in a thousand rainbow hues, while the foam whitened in the rays of the sun. At a distance, the peaceful anglers were casting their long lines, and added a living interest to the already-beautiful scene. The woods, the lawns, the hills around, lent the magic of their smiling and peaceful aspect, to contrast with the brown rocks covered with foaming spray. Miss Southwell had never been a worshipper of the charms of Nature; but she internally acknowledged, that when taught to view them with a painter's eye, they were susceptible of some degree of interest.

"How fresh the foliage looks near this magnificent river!" Pendennis exclaimed. "I am fortunate in not being obliged to delay my tour till winter would have deprived the scene of its loveliest features."

"What is it Mr. Pendennis says?" inquired several female voices at once. "Do, for Heaven's sake! give us the sweet re

mark

mark dear Mr. Pendennis has just been making."

"Mr. Pendennis observes," said Miss O'Reilly, with great solemnity, "that trees are apt not to be so full of leaves in winter as in summer."

The observations of our tourist were suspended for a space by the necessity of helping himself to refreshments. While some light French wines were circulating around, he requested, in preference, a glass of cyder, saying, at the same time, with a smile, "I am still so much of an ancient Briton, that I should prefer a glass of old mead even to cyder or perry."

"What is it Mr. Pendennis says?" again demanded Mrs. Adair of Miss O'Reilly, who sat on one side of him. "What good thing was Mr. Pendennis saying just now ?"

"Do tell me, Mrs. Adair," said Miss O'Brien, who was placed still further off, " what that wonderful clever creature was saying?"

Will nobody tell me," cried Mr. Preston, putting up his ear-trumpet (for he was, unfortunately, at times, extremely deaf)—" will nobody tell me what it was Mr. Pendennis said last?"

Miss O'Reilly again took upon herself the office of speaker. Applying her mouth to the ear-trumpet of Mr. Preston, she called out, in a voice at which every one started-" Mr. Pendennis says, he prefers old mead, as a beverage, to either cyder or perry."

Flattered with the universal attention his most insignificant remarks excited, Pendennis thought it high time to assume somewhat of the traveller's importance. Wrapping himself up in his unfashionable cloak, or rather red roquelaure, he once more pulled his memorandum-book out of his pocket, and began to run his eye over its miscellaneous contents:-" Irish settlers-Pelasgi-Strongbonians - Breton laws-Bonmots-Charter schoolsKilkenny

VOL. I.

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