swim; and this being the case, how the deuce is there any danger of any one's sinking."

The kind of education he received early gave something of peculiarity to the character of Eugene: from his father he acquired a thirst for enterprise, that rendered exploits of danger, of all others, the most pleasing to him; from his aunt a sovereign contempt for trade, and an enthusiastic love of liberty, that rendered him ready to start forward, as the champion of the oppressed, at the slightest mention of tyranny or injustice.

On giving up Eugene to his studies with his aunt, the lieutenant generally betook himself to loitering about the neigh bourhood, amongst the old retainers of his kingly house, whose stories and traditions concerning it were a never-failing source of delight to him.

A path led to the summit of a mountain, behind the castle, overlooking a torrent below, where, crossing a rude bridge, formed of trunks of trees, cast across a deep

glen, you arrived at a neat cabin, or cottage, embosomed in alder trees, where a sod seat invited the passenger to rest, and view the surrounding scenery, hence beheld to the greatest advantage, and abounding in all that could charm the eye or fix the attention.

This was the lieutenant's favourite walk -here he loved to rest upon the turf seat, for he had a limp in his gait, from a severe wound, that rendered the ascent of the eminence rather a work of fatigue to him, and listen to the funny anecdotes or wild stories of Nell Tierney, the owner of the eabin. Among these was one that made a particular impression on the mind of the lieutenant, a little inclined, like most of his profession, to credulity and superstition.

At the period of the Reformation, Nell related, that commissioners being sent over to Ireland, to take account of, and value the church lands, one amongst them, a man of most abandoned character, was so charmed with the castle of St. Doulagh's, * and its rich dependencies, as to form a

plan for the destruction of its owner, in order to get himself possessed of his valuable property. For this end he artfully represented to the jealous tyrant, that the king of Ulster aimed at sovereign sway, to the destruction of course of the English power in Ireland; in corroboration of which many circumstances were stated, any one of which was sufficient of itself to have excited the jealousy of such a tyrant as Henry, but all of which were the fabrication of the commissioner's own fertile brain.

Having sufficiently worked upon the gloomy mind of Henry, he asserted that he had the power of putting the suspected monarch's loyalty to a decisive test, if he had but his majesty's permission so to do, and promise of pardon for whatever might be the result. Both being obtained, he proceeded to state, that there was a particular species of dogs, possessed of the extraordinary sagacity of discovering a traitor, even though amongst thousands of other men, one of which he had then in

1

his possession, and would make use of in the way he wished, now that he was permitted.

Prior to entering upon this plan, the Englishman shut up a bloodhound in a room by itself, and having kept it for some days without food, brought it out to a garden, in which was placed a figure, fashioned so as to represent the king of Ulster, and in the belly of which was deposited the entrails of a sheep; at this the hound was set, and, infuriated by hunger, quickly succeeded in tearing it to pieces. This was repeated, till his treacherous owner conceived there could be but little doubt of his performing the part he intended: accordingly, on an appointed day, the destined victim was brought forth, and, as foreseen, no sooner recognised by the dog, than he flew at him, and literally tore him to atoms.

The place in which this tragedy was acted was a field adjoining the castle; and there was a tradition, that whenever this (from that period named the king's field

of blood) should be planted with English hops, the castle, with all its rich domains, would be restored to his descendants.

Whenever the poor lieutenant's spirits sunk beneath the pressure of worldly circumstances, for he was neither rich, nor passing rich, his thoughts would revert to this tradition, and rekindle courage to bear up a little longer against what might

ensue.

CHAPTER II.

“'Tis granted, and no plainer truth appears,
Our most important are our earliest years.

The heart, surrender'd to the ruling power,
Finds by degrees the truths that once bore sway,
And all their deep impressions wear away."

BUT if Miss Agnes Flora Judith was annoyed by the frequent interruptions the studies of her nephew met, through his