Lady Desmond sighed, and looked away towards Kate, Lord Effingham following the direction of her eyes with his, smiled.
"Miss Kate, agrah," said Mrs. O'Toole's voice, from the verandah, at that moment, "don't be sitting wid the winda wide open, an' the lightnin' strikin' right an' lift—sure it'll be powerin' cats and dogs in a minit;" and nurse's good-humoured face, though not quite so bright as in former days, beamed in on them. "The Lord save us! I beg yer pardon, me lady; sure I thought Miss Kate was all alone be herself, an' I niver thought to find—"
"No apology, nurse," said Lady Desmond, good-humouredly.
"Mrs. O'Toole," cried Colonel Dashwood, "I hope I am not quite forgotten;" and he stepped forward to greet her.
"Faith, ye'r not, sir; sure, a dog that I remimbered at Dungar, would be light to me eyes, let alone a grand lookin' gintleman like yer honor!"
"It is raining heavily already, nurse," said Lady Desmond, with whom Mrs. O'Toole was a great favourite; "come in, at once, and you can speak to Colonel Dashwood."
"Och, Kurnel, what's the Captin doin'? an' where is he?"
"Which Captain?" he returned; "I know so many."
"Och, mee own Captin—him that I nursed through the faver!"