red coats, and hunting-caps, that Guss and Sophy, and a great many
others, thought it would be a shame to interrupt them in their career.
And then, Ballyhaunis was only eight miles from Kelly's Court; though
they were Irish miles, it is true, and the road was not patronised by
the Grand Jury; but the distance was only eight miles, and there were
always beds for them when they went to dinner at Peter Dillon's. Then
there were the Blakes of Castletown. To be sure they could give no
parties, for they were both unmarried; but they were none the worse
for that, and they had plenty of horses, and went out everywhere.
And the Blakes of Morristown; they also were very nice people; only
unfortunately, old Blake was always on his keeping, and couldn't show
himself out of doors except on Sundays, for fear of the bailiffs. And
the Browns of Mount Dillon, and the Browns of Castle Brown; and General
Bourke of Creamstown. All these families lived within fifteen or
sixteen miles of Kelly's Court, and prevented the O'Kellys from
feeling themselves quite isolated from the social world. Their nearest
neighbours, however, were the Armstrongs, and of them they saw a great
deal.

The Reverend Joseph Armstrong was rector of Ballindine, and Mrs O'Kelly
was his parishioner, and the only Protestant one he had; and, as Mr
Armstrong did not like to see his church quite deserted, and as Mrs
O'Kelly was, as she flattered herself, a very fervent Protestant, they
were all in all to each other.

Ballindine was not a good living, and Mr Armstrong had a very large
family; he was, therefore, a poor man. His children were helpless,
uneducated, and improvident; his wife was nearly worn out with the
labours of bringing them forth and afterwards catering for them; and
a great portion of his own life was taken up in a hard battle with