The Lady Jackson, burning with indignation, lost no time in profiting by the advice of the kindhearted girl, but dispatched her at once to her daughter with offers of reconciliation. latter eagerly hastened to the bedside of her parent, who congratulated her upon her firmness in refusing the Frenchman, while she condemned herself for the foolish part which she had taken. It was agreed not to let the amiable count know of their being reconciled, but suffer him and his respectable friends to come at the hour appointed for dinner; Mr. O'Brien promising his mother-in-law to entertain them. properly on their arrival. In the mean time the count called several times to inquire after his dear lady, but was not admitted, on the plea of Lady Jackson not wishing to leave her bed-room till the dinnerhour. At length it arrived, and with it the hungry party also. They were rather surprised to see only two covers laid; and the count was beginning to question in an authoritative tone the two garçons who were in waiting, when, to his unutterable surprise and dismay, Captain O'Brien entered the room with an enormous horse-whip in his hand. "Come, gentlemen," he said, addressing the two doctors, "take your dinners," pointing at the same time to the two dishes, which, when uncovered, displayed to their disappointed eyes a mess of oatmeal porridge for the Scotch doctor, and one of soup-maigre for the French man. "Eat, gentlemen, eat," said the Irishman. They seemed, however, disinclined to taste their national food, for they had expected very different fare. Captain O'Brien still persisting in urging them to eat" in no very gentle tone, and flourishing at the same time his huge horsewhip carelessly about the room, they thought it better to comply. When they had finished their unsavoury meal, he turned to the shivering count, who had made several attempts to leave the room, but had been prevented by the grinning garçons. "Now, Monsieur," said Captain O'Brien, "I will give you your dinner;" saying which, he seized him by the collar, and was about to inflict a sound horse-whipping, when the miserable coward fell on his knees, imploring mercy. The generous Irishman could not touch the kneeling, abject wretch, but flinging him from him, desired him and his sordid accomplices to leave the house, and never dare to approach it while it contained Lady Jackson and her family; adding, "The next time you wish to induce a rich and respectable English lady to become Madame la Comtesse Silvestre Auguste Ahhemar de Chateau Nonancourt, do not call in your two doctors, or talk of your intentions quite so openly." Saying this, and making a sign to the waiters, they showed the unfortunate creatures the door, amidst shouts of laughter. In the evening Lady Jackson gave a handsome entertainment to all the domestics in the hotel; and a few days afterwards, was well enough to invite the English residents to a splendid ball, where her daughter and son-inlaw did the honours. Before we left Nice they had all three set sail for Ireland, in very good humour with each other; and Lady Jackson thoroughly cured of any wish to have a count in her family. CHAPTER III. "Up and away!-for lovely paths are these It was one of the most lovely of Italian days when we left Nice for Genoa. Lord Henry Villeroi had at first intended. going by water, but having been told by an English gentleman who had recently made the journey along the coast by land, that it was a far more agreeable mode of going, though perhaps more tedious, he decided upon following his friend's route. The only addition to our travelling party was an Italian courier. |