"
"I am not surprised," Desmond laughed; "it can only have been skin
deep, I fancy, O'Connor."
"I will give Conway his first lesson to-night," the captain said.
Dancing had already begun when Captain O'Connor and Ralph drove up in
a dog-cart to the Regans', who lived some four miles from Ballyporrit.
O'Connor introduced Ralph to his host, and then hurried away. In a
short time he was deep in conversation with Miss Tabitha Regan, who
was some years younger than her brother, and still believed herself to
be quite a girl. She was gorgeously arrayed with a plume of nodding
feathers in her headdress.
"You are looking splendid to-night, Miss Regan," O'Connor said in a
tone of deep admiration. "You do not give your nieces a chance."
"Ah! you are flattering me, Captain O'Connor."
"Not at all, Miss Regan; it's quite a sensation you make. My young
friend Conway was tremendously struck with your appearance, and asked
me who that splendid woman was." Which was true enough, except for the
word "splendid;" for as they had walked through the room Ralph's eyes
had fallen upon her, and he had exclaimed in astonishment, "Who on
earth is that woman, O'Connor?"
"He is dying to be introduced to you. He is a little young, you know;
but of good family, and may come into a lot of money one of these
days. Only son, and all that.
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