OConors of Castle Conor, County Mayo | Page 6

don't keep us waiting for
dinner. You can dress in twenty minutes, I suppose?"
"In ten!" said I, glibly.
"That's well. Jack and Peter will show you your room," and so he
turned away and left us.
My two young friends made their way into the great hall, and thence
into the drawing-room, and I followed them. We were all dressed in
pink, and had waded deep through bog and mud. I did not exactly know
whither I was being led in this guise, but I soon found myself in the
presence of two young ladies, and of a girl about thirteen years of age.
"My sisters," said Jack, introducing me very laconically; "Miss
O'Conor, Miss Kate O'Conor, Miss Tizzy O'Conor."
"My name is not Tizzy," said the younger; "it's Eliza. How do you do,
sir? I hope you had a fine hunt! Was papa well up, Jack?"
Jack did not condescend to answer this question, but asked one of the
elder girls whether anything had come, and whether a room had been
made ready for me.
"Oh yes!" said Miss O'Conor; "they came, I know, for I saw them
brought into the house; and I hope Mr. Green will find everything
comfortable." As she said this I thought I saw a slight smile steal across
her remarkably pretty mouth.
They were both exceedingly pretty girls. Fanny the elder wore long
glossy curls,--for I write, oh reader, of bygone days, as long ago as that,

when ladies wore curls if it pleased them so to do, and gentlemen
danced in pumps, with black handkerchiefs round their necks,--yes,
long black, or nearly black silken curls; and then she had such eyes;--I
never knew whether they were most wicked or most bright; and her
face was all dimples, and each dimple was laden with laughter and
laden with love. Kate was probably the prettier girl of the two, but on
the whole not so attractive. She was fairer than her sister, and wore her
hair in braids; and was also somewhat more demure in her manner.
In spite of the special injunctions of Mr. O'Conor senior, it was
impossible not to loiter for five minutes over the drawing-room fire
talking to these houris--more especially as I seemed to know them
intimately by intuition before half of the five minutes was over. They
were so easy, so pretty, so graceful, so kind, they seemed to take it so
much as a matter of course that I should stand there talking in my red
coat and muddy boots.
"Well; do go and dress yourselves," at last said Fanny, pretending to
speak to her brothers but looking more especially a me. "You know
how mad papa will be. And remember Mr. Green, we expect great
things from your dancing to-night. Your coming just at this time is such
a Godsend." And again that soupcon of a smile passed over her face.
I hurried up to my room, Peter and Jack coming with me to the door.
"Is everything right?" said Peter, looking among the towels and
water-jugs. "They've given you a decent fire for a wonder," said Jack,
stirring up the red hot turf which blazed in the grate. "All right as a
trivet," said I. "And look alive like a good fellow," said Jack. We had
scowled at each other in the morning as very young men do when they
are strangers; and now, after a few hours, we were intimate friends.
I immediately turned to my work, and was gratified to find that all my
things were laid out ready for dressing; my portmanteau had of course
come open, as my keys were in my pocket, and therefore some of the
excellent servants of the house had been able to save me all the trouble
of unpacking. There was my shirt hanging before the fire; my black
clothes were spread upon the bed, my socks and collar and
handkerchief beside them; my brushes were on the toilet table, and
everything prepared exactly as though my own man had been there.
How nice!
I immediately went to work at getting off my spurs and boots, and then

proceeded to loosen the buttons at my knees. In doing this I sat down in
the arm-chair which had been drawn up for me, opposite the fire. But
what was the object on which my eyes then fell;--the objects I should
rather say!
Immediately in front of my chair was placed, just ready for may feet, an
enormous pair of shooting-boots--half-boots made to lace up round the
ankles, with thick double leather soles, and each bearing half a stone of
iron in the shape of nails and heel-pieces. I had superintended the
making of these shoes in Burlington Arcade with the greatest diligence.
I was never a good shot;