But as soon as Ran came in with the Stuarts The O’Melaghlin gave the glass to Judy to hold and went to meet them.
He seized the hand of Ran, and shaking it again cruelly and almost to dislocation, exclaimed:
“Me son-in-law! Me brave, good, thrue bhoy! I have not yet greeted ye, nor wilcomed ye as me son-in-law! But now I will do it, with the highest praise mortal man could give ye. I will say: Haymore, sir, ye are worthy to be the husband of me daughter Judy and the daughter of a thousand kings.”
“I thank you, sir. I am sure that is the highest praise you could give me. I hope it is true,” gallantly replied Ran.
Servants were at hand to show the guests to their apartments.
Mike did the honors to his father, and accompanied him to the apartments prepared for him.
Judy attended Palma to the beautiful suit of rooms that had been fitted up for Mr. and Mrs. Stuart and their children.
There Judy for the first time made acquaintance with Palma’s lovely children, whom she found already on the nursery cot, asleep and attended by the faithful Hatty.
“Why, when did these beauties come? Why have I not seen them before?” demanded Judy.
“They came in the second carriage with Hatty and Josias. I would trust them with those two as confidently as with myself and their father,” replied Palma.