parish, and reserved the other as a maintenance for the wretched widow during life. The worthy priest, upon being made acquainted with the words she had let drop, promised to use his exertions with her to induce a confession; she persisted, however, in maintaining a strict silence with regard to it, saying she knew nothing "at all at all" about it. Shortly after these events, Harry Bingham had arrived from Dublin; his presence was hailed by all parties with acclamations, he being a peculiar favourite with the lower, as well as upper classes. Some time after his arrival he received a note from Lord Louisbourgh, requesting him to join a shooting party, consisting of friends from the metropolis, whom he expected down-the grouse season being close at hand; to which having cordially assented, on a fine morning he got into his dog-cart, well stored with all means and appliances for the destruction, as well of the feathered tenants of the mountain, as of the scaly freeholders of the lake. He had a rough mountain-road of upwards of twenty miles to traverse: during the period necessary for which we shall take the liberty of outgoing him, and introduce our readers into the beautiful romantic seat he was fast approaching, as well as give a brief account of its proprietor and his family. CHAPTER XIV. "There's nothing I cast my eyes upon, Are hung as if a princess were to dwell here, PORT-NA-CURIG HOUSE and demesne, as well as the adjacent town, and an immense tract of the country, extending for miles, were the property of John Delamar, Earl of Louisbourgh. The family of Delamar had descended from a Spaniard of ancient origin, but scanty means, named Dalmarinos; he had been a captain in the navy of his country, but finding no encouragement for his enterprising spirit in his own land, had come over to offer his services to Queen Elizabeth, who fitted out an exploring vessel for him, in which he made some valuable discoveries in the South Seas, and brought home the first specimen of that aquatic bird called the Albatross seen in this country; which name subsequently was given to a vessel he commanded under Drake, and assisted in the destruction of the residue of the Spanish Armada-his conduct on which occasion was so gallant that he was made an admiral, and presented by the queen with a splendid silver vase, on which was engraved in deep relief the albatross, with the device beneath, DE LA MAR, which became the crest and motto of his descendants. The house, of cut stone, and square dimensions, was of modern construction; its heavy projecting cornice above being surmounted by a stone balustrade, at each angle of which was the flying bird, the emblem of the family. It lay, with the ample and well-wooded demesne that surrounded it, embosomed within an amphitheatre of lofty hills, above which could be seen the towering peaks of the two great mountains of the country; these hills, broken in several places by huge rocky projections, were planted to their summits with pines and trees of the several fir species, in large compartments; while the ample area beneath was beautifully diversified with spreading lawns, on which sheep in flocks were cropping the rich herbage, and studded with ancient oak and chesnut, beneath which deer were reclining, shaded from the heat of an autumn burning sun. Within this enclosure, to the extent of a couple of thousand acres, the demesne lay, in the shape of a horse-shoe, the extreme pro jections stretching out into the main ocean, and terminated by two high promontories; that to the north surmounted by an ancient tower; while on the southern, beneath which the river Curig, passing the little town a couple of hundred yards above, found its embouchure into the main ocean through a natural basin of rock, stood a tall lighthouse, of ancient origin also, but fitted up and maintained by the proprietor with a lantern of revolving coloured lights, for the guidance of vessels into the harbour; it was so furnished on account of the singularly beautiful effect the alternation of colours produced when seen from the mansion windows. The gardens rose up in a succession of terraces against the breast of the mountain in rear of the house, interspersed with green and hot-houses, which glittered in the sun's rays. In front of this beautiful residence, looking towards the sea, there was an inner enclosure, extending to its borders, laid out in drives and walks, through shrubberies of evergreens planted in masses of large extent. About three miles out to sea lay the large rocky island of Inniskerry, from which the barony in the family took its title; it seemed, with its lofty headlands, as if it had been thrown there, like that of Inniscarra, opposite Ballyvoola, to protect the inner coast from the fury of the Atlantic. The family had migrated from the sister country at the time of the Revolution, and had acquired the large property at present possessed, as well by grants from the Crown and purchases of the confiscated lands at the public sales in the time of Queen Anne, as by marriages. Such was the outline of the prospect presented to the visitor's eye as his vehicle, crossing the bridge that led from the town through the massive gateway, drew up at the hall door, while the first bell was pealing out for dinner, and who, on entering, was conducted to his dressing apartment. Being speedily equipped, he descended, and was ushered into a spacious library, where sat, reading a newspaper, a tall and commandinglooking personage, who rose on his entrance, and making a bow, again resumed his position, continuing his perusal without evincing any disposition for further intimacy. "A cool fellow enough," thought Bingham to himself; "I'll see how far I can match him." So taking up another paper, while seating himself at the opposite side of the fire-place, on the hearth of which, warm as the season was, blazed a fire of bog deal, and placing his left leg across the knee of the right, he commenced his lucubrations. Once or twice he thought, as he read, he detected the stranger's eye directed over the top of his paper at him, but with that pride peculiar to |