While he was enunciating this fact to Curtis, they were walking up and down the breakfast-room, waiting for the appearance of the ladies to make tea.
‘I declare it’s nigh eleven o’clock,’ said Curtis, ‘and I meant to have been over two baronies before this hour.’
‘Don’t distress yourself, captain. The man was never within fifty miles of where we are. And why would he? It is not the Bog of Allen is the place for a revolution.’
‘It’s always the way with the people at the Castle,’ grumbled out Curtis. ‘They know more of what’s going on down the country than we that live here! It’s one despatch after another. Head-centre Such-a-one is at the “Three Cripples.” He slept there two nights; he swore in fifteen men last Saturday, and they’ll tell you where he bought a pair of corduroy breeches, and what he ate for his breakfast—’
‘I wish we had ours,’ broke in Kilgobbin. ‘Where’s Kate all this time?’
‘Papa, papa, I want you for a moment; come here to me quickly,’ cried Kate, whose head appeared for a moment at the door. ‘Here’s very terrible tidings, papa dearest,’ said she, as she drew him along towards his study. ‘Nina is gone! Nina has run away!’
‘Run away for what?’
‘Run away to be married; and she is married. Read this, or I’ll read it for you. A country boy has just brought it from Maryborough.’
Like a man stunned almost to insensibility, Kearney crossed his hands before him, and sat gazing out vacantly before him.
‘Can you listen to me? can you attend to me, dear papa?’