Well, after we had supped, Master Dick sends for me to come up stairs; and as it was too soon to go to bed, down we sate over a hot tumbler to settle what was to be done when we got to London. Ye see, we knew that in England there were heiresses galore *—but the thing was, how the divil were we to find them?
* Anglicê—In plenty.
Well, after we had been talkin’ half an hour, in comes the waiter. “Is there one Mister Macnamara here?” says he.
“That’s me,” Dick answers.
“Mister Callaghan’s after askin’ for ye,” says he.
“Parade him,” says Dick.
So in steps an ould gentleman, clane shaved enough, but about the clothes, he had rather a shuck appearance. He bows, and Dick bows—and down sits the ould gentleman, an’ draws over a tumbler.
“Ye had a pleasant journey of it, Mister Macnamara,” says he, commencin’ the conversation. “My daughter says that ye’re the best of company. In troth, she spakes large of ye.”
With that they drinks one another’s health—an’ from one thing they comes on to another. I had pulled my chair away to the corner, ye see, but Dick winked to me as much as to say, “Shemus, stay where ye are.”
“An’ so ye’re goin’ to better yourself with a wife?” says the ould fellow.