“No, your honour, the master, with the lieutenant, is out, but they’ll not be long before they’re home,” was the answer.
Adair thought the term lieutenant augured ill. Surely the servant would speak of Desmond as the young lord if he had gained his cause. He, however, considered that it would be undignified to put the question.
“Are any of the family at home?” asked Jack, as he and Adair tendered their cards.
“Sure, yes, capt’ns; the mistress and the young ladies are at home, and they’ll be mighty glad to see ye.”
“Take up our cards, at all events,” said Adair, “and we will wait in the hall.”
The servant hurried off, while Jack and Adair stood waiting his return. The man soon returned.
“Come up, come up, capt’ns; the mistress will be mighty pleased to see you,” he said, beginning, in a way no English servant would have thought of doing, to relieve them of their hats.
“Sure, I’ll just take charge of these; they’ll be after incommoding you in the drawing-room,” he said, taking possession of their beavers by gentle force.
Adair smiled, but made no objection, although Jack was very unwilling to give up his hat.
They were ushered into a handsome drawing-room, and the lady of the house—a buxom dame—came smiling forward, while three young damsels rose and put down the work on which they had been engaged.