idea of supplanting him. She easily persuaded her weak-minded lover to
go through the form of marriage with her, under the pretence that his
wife was dead, took the title of Lady Altham, and fancied that some of
her own possible brood might succeed to the title, for the estates
were by this time well-nigh gone. With this purpose in her mind she
used her influence against the boy, and at last got him turned out of
the house and sent to a poor school; but it is, at least, so far
creditable to his father to say, that he did not quite forget him,
that he gave instructions that he should be well treated, and that he
sometimes went to see him.

Lord Altham's creditors, as has been stated, were very clamorous, and
his brother Richard was practically a beggar: they were both sadly in
want of money, and only one way remained to procure it. If the boy
were out of the way, considerable sums might be raised by his lordship
by the sale of reversions, in conjunction with the remainder-man in
tail, who would in that case have been Lord Altham's needy brother
Richard. Consequently the real heir was removed to the house of one
Kavanagh, where he was kept for several months closely confined, and
in the meantime it was industriously given out that he was dead. The
boy, however, found means to escape from his confinement, and,
prowling up and down the streets, made the acquaintance of all the
idle boys in Dublin. Any odd work which came in his way he readily
performed; and although he was a butt for the gamins and an object of
pity to the town's-people, few thought of denying his identity or
disputing his legitimacy. Far from being unknown, he became a
conspicuous character in Dublin; and although, from his roaming
proclivities, it was impossible to do much to help him, the citizens
in the neighbourhood of the college were kindly disposed towards him,
supplied him with food and a little money, and vented their abuse in