Altogether his expenditure on the farm could not have
been less than eight hundred pounds at the period of the landlord's
death, which, as the reader knows is that at which we have commenced our
narrative.
Thomas M'Mahon's family consisted of--first, his father, a grey-haired
patriarch, who, though a very old man, was healthy and in the full
possession of all his faculties; next, himself; then his wife; Bryan,
the proprietor of Ahadarra; two other sons, both younger, and two
daughters, the eldest twenty, and the youngest about eighteen. The name
of the latter was Dora, a sweet and gentle girl, with beautiful auburn
hair, dark, brilliant eyes, full of intellect and feeling, an exquisite
mouth, and a figure which was remarkable for natural grace and great
symmetry.
"Well, Bryan," said the father, "what news from Ahadarra?"
"Nothing particular from Ahadarra," replied the son, "but our
good-natured friend, Jemmy Burke, had his house broken open and robbed
the night before last."
"Wurrah deheelish" exclaimed his mother, "no, he hadn't!"
"Well, mother," replied Bryan, laughing, "maybe not. I'm afeard it's too
true though."
"An' how much did he lose?" asked his father.
"Between seventy and eighty pounds," said Bryan.
"It's too much," observed the other; "still I'm glad it's no more; an'
since the villains did take it, it's well they tuck it from a man that
can afford to lose it.
Pages:
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88