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That very evening one of O'Halloran's servants
brought from the post-office, a letter to Edward
from his father, and one to Sir Francis Hamilton
from the Lord Lieutenant. Edward's was as follows:

“My Son—A few days ago, I received from you
a very foolish letter, requesting me to consent to
your marriage with a woman I never saw, nor, until
that very moment, ever heard of. I took, of
course, some pains to inquire concerning her, and
her connexions. The only person from whom I
could obtain much information, is your old mendicant
protagee, who praises her in a style that I
cannot well understand; but from which I can
gather that she is a great beauty. I presume,
therefore, that in the ardour of your admiration,
you have endowed her with angelic qualities, for

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in the eyes of every love-sick young man who has
a handsome mistress, she cannot be aught else
than an angel.

“But, sir, how does it happen that you could
suppose your father as easily blinded as yourself
on such a subject? or how could you imagine that
bright eyes and a fine complexion, could make up
in my estimation for obscurity of birth, and rebellious
connexions;—for I understand that the lady in
question, is daughter to an outlaw, and granddaughter
to a rebel; and a rebel too of the very worst
stamp; one whose influence in the country has been
wilfully perverted from preserving its tranquillity to
promoting its destruction. How could the loyal,
the virtuous, the patriotic Edward Barrymore, he
of whose promising talents and acquirements, his
friends have been hitherto so proud, degrade himself,
and the family whose representative he is, by
such a connexion?

“I speak nothing of the lady's want of fortune,
although I am informed that her grandfather, on
whom she totally depends, has mortgaged his property
for more than it is worth, for the wicked purpose
too of procuring supplies for the rebel armies.
If ever the fomenter of a country's ruin deserved
death, this jacobinical old man, according to all accounts,
did so. But your boyish and imprudent
attachment for a handsome face, interfered and
snatched him from justice. When I first heard of
that affair, I was silly enough to approve of your
conduct, as I ascribed it to a generous impulse of
humanity and gratitude for one who had, as it is
reported, saved your life. But I now see that a
foolish passion for a pretty girl, was at the bottom
of your apparent benevolence. What your uncle
will say on this subject, I cannot tell, for I have not
yet communicated it to him. But as he scarcely
approved of your interference in behalf of the old

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rebel, I presume he will utterly disapprove of your
intention to contaminate the purity of your family
blood, by marrying the granddaughter.—But
enough on this subject.

“Ah! sir, is it a time for any of the house of
Barrymore to bask indolently in the rays of beauty,
or in the enjoyment of female blandishments,
when the fabric of society is tottering to its very
foundations? When your country is assailed at
once by domestic traitors and foreign invaders,
ought you, in the vigour of youth and activity, to
desert her cause, and lie supinely sunk under the
fascinations of love and luxury?

“I call on you, I order you, to throw off your
disgraceful chains and fly to the standard of your
king and country. The French have landed, in
what force it is not exactly known, on the Connaught
coast. But it is certain that they will form
a rallying point for insurrection. It is said that
the peasantry have already swelled their ranks to
a countless multitude. I take the field to-morrow,
as commander of a regiment of cavalry, in which
I have preserved for you the rank of a captain.
Cornwallis has placed himself at the head of the
troops; and I trust that we shall all exhibit a zeal
and soldier-like conduct, worthy of our cause, and
of such a renowned commander.

“I shall expect you to join us, wherever we
may be encamped, in a week at farthest from this
date; and, if you do your duty on this occasion,
as becomes you, your late errors will be forgiven,
by your indulgent father,

The Lord Lieutenant's letter required Sir Francis
Hamilton's immediate attendance on the army.

“* * * * * * * * * At what an awful crisis,”

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said he, “have I been entrusted with the government
of this unfortunate country? Treason, rebellion,
massacre, and invasion, have shaken her to
pieces, and have prostrated her into the depth of
misery.

“I remember you were ever proud of being an
Irishman. Show yourself now worthy of the name,
and fly to the standard which is raised for the
preservation of whatever your country yet possesses
of law, order, civilization, and rational freedom.
I want such men as you about me. Your
counsels whether as a statesman or a soldier, to
me will be valuable; and they will be the more
acceptable, as I know that they will be given with
uprightness, and with the feelings not only of a wise
man, but of an Irishman, anxious for the safety
and welfare of his country.

“I hope you have, before this time, availed yourself
of the exertion of the executive prerogative
which I made in your favour. I need not say how
happy I felt at being thus able to pay the debt of
gratitude under which you laid me on that terrible
night at Yorktown, when the furious American colonel,
Scammel, made his desperate attack on our
defences. On that dreadful night, his brandished
weapon hovered over my head, and would have
cut short my existence, had you not heroically interposed
and clove him to the earth.

“I could, with much gratification, dwell longer
on those trans-atlantic subjects; but with me time
is now precious; and I hasten to request you to
lose none in coming to resume your former station
in my military household, as my confidential aidde-camp.

“I have with true and undiminished esteem, the
honour to be, &c.

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Edward and Sir Francis made hasty preparations
to set off, in obedience to these requisitions,
the next morning.

Edward saw that, with respect to Ellen, his father
had received some gross misrepresentations,
which caused him, in the mean time, to labour
under several grieviously mistaken impressions, but
which he knew that, at their first interview, he
could, by a simple statement of the truth, easily
remove. He did not, therefore, think proper to
disclose to either her or her friends, this part of the
intelligence he had received; for, besides his reluctance
to wound their feelings, he did not wish
to occasion a renewal of O'Halloran's interdiction,
to address her on the subject of love, which interdiction
he had just withdrawn, under the conviction
that, from the nature of her present circumstances,
her future prospects, and recently discovered parentage,
there was but little danger of the Barrymores
offering much opposition to the intended
union.

Ellen was much agitated on parting with her
lover. “You are going,” said she, “into danger.
I may never see you again. Oh! I thought—I presumptuously
thought, that all my misfortunes were at
an end—but I may yet have the greatest that could
befall me, to endure. And my father too—to be
torn from me. Oh! Heaven grant that I may not
have just found him only to lose him forever!”

“Dearest Ellen,” replied her lover, “be comforted.
This new disturbance, this daring invasion
will not be long able to withstand the power that
shall be led to its suppression under the direction of
such an able commander. When we shall have
driven our enemies from the country, no impediment,
my love, will then exist to the completion of
our happiness. I must now assist my country to
the best of my abilities; but fear not but that I shall

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soon return safe and victorious, and shall then
claim her fairest daughter as the dear reward of
my services.”

“Go, then, my Edward; and, if my unceasing
prayers can prevail on Heaven to protect thee,
thou shalt indeed return safe and uninjured.”

“Then, my love,” said he, “heaven, I am assured,
will hear thy prayers; and I shall have nothing
to fear.”

They now exchanged vows of lasting fidelity;
and Ellen retired to seek sympathy from the
friendship of Miss Agnew. But Miss Agnew was
in almost as much need of a comforter as herself.
She had just taken a tender farewell of Martin,
who had resolved, in this alarming juncture, to
volunteer his services to the government.

Sir Francis requested Jemmy Hunter to accompany
him, as his attendant, to which he readily
agreed after a reluctant and weeping consent was
obtained from his Peggy, to whom he gave a tender
embrace at parting; and with a full and manly
heart said, “may God keep you and the wean,
frae a' ill till I see you again!”

With her child, (which was now about six weeks
old) in her arms, she followed him to the door.
“You were aye kind to me, Jemmy,” said she,
half choaked with grief, “but you are noo gaun in
a lawfu' cause, and in guid company. May Grace
gae wi' ye!—an' may He keep you that can keep
you, an' bring you safe back to your wife an'
wean!” She then retired to offer up to heaven, in
simple but fervent language, the artless wishes of
her soul for the husband of her affections, the father
of her child.

As Jemmy rode to the castle to join the gentlemen,
previous to their departure, he thought intensely
of his Peggy. “Gude keep her for a guid

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creature, and the wee helpless wean—how it looked
at me!” Here a few tears swelled in his eyes.
“But I maunna be such a chicken as this,” thought
he, and he wiped them off with a courageous resolution,
that they should have no successors.

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